Passionate Survival
by bazookabii
Summary: My first fanfiction. Please review! Warning: Contains lemon in the near future chapters. FLW x Mr. Burke
1. Meeting The Infection

Passionate Survival: Chapter 1

Author's Note: Hello there! This is my first fanfiction and I had a lot of fun writing it! I'm still confused how the this site works, but please give me reviews! ^-^

The woman with jet black hair hidden in the brown hood she was wearing over her head had just entered into the settlement of Megaton. This wasn't her first visit in such a place. It has been two weeks since she left the vault which was her home for 19 years. She wouldn't have to endure such hardships if her father didn't abandon her, leaving her to potentially die in the place which she thought was her sanctuary. It was currently in chaos because of the radroaches infesting the place, and she wasn't sure how everyone was handling them all.

She sighed as she tugged onto the hood covering half of her face. She had taken it off of the dead body she had shot down several days ago. She couldn't quite remember what happened, but she remembered that he was trying to kill her with a sniper, and she couldn't have that come about.

It's funny how she was once an innocent and helpless girl who cried over the death of the radroach she was pressured to shoot at when she was merely 10 years old. That was during the good old days before she left the vault. Now a massive amount of blood in front of her is no longer a painful sight. In fact, it matches perfectly with the color of her eyes which were a dark shade of red. Although she already accepted her changed violent ways, she felt that every time she killed someone, her own death would more painful in the future. She indeed believed in karma. There was too much evil and corruption in the Capital Wasteland. There was no way a girl who was taught to be good for all her life could bring justice in this god forsaken land. Everyday people and animals die. Whether they are innocent or not, they die. She remembered killing a merchant that had offered her some purified water. She didn't have enough money or items to swap for that drop of liquid that would satisfy her need for survival, so she decided to kill him with the police baton she had taken during her escape from the vault. That was her first kill; an innocent man. She remembered vomiting at the sight of his corpse with the baton struck through his skull and crying for the first few nights from guilt, but now she thought of it as an unsettling illusion that never happened. The hood she was wearing was the best thing she could do to hide her identity from the evilness of the world. She was probably just as equally evil as the raiders and slavers out there, but unlike them, she was aware of her malicious ways. They were used to it and thought of their killings as normal. However, she knew how sinful it was to shed blood. She wore the hood in shame, but nevertheless, she still accepted her foul and vulgar ways. It was all for survival. Survival…

She looked upwards to the people walking by her in Megaton. Everyone seemed content despite their complaints about the condition of their homes and health. A few stares from the inhabitants were noticed as she walked by them on her way to the saloon. She didn't blame them. She was born with eyes that has never given her viewer tranquility like it would if they were blue or green. This was why she avoided looking at anyone, so that she wouldn't feel their eyes upon her filthy existence.

She took a step into the familiar bar and looked upwards. A ghoul, who was the bartender, had been rubbing a white cloth over glassware. He stopped his actions to look at the girl who had just walked in. He gave her a small smile when he recognized her and nodded his head as a form of greeting since his hands were busy. She responded with a nod of her own and proceeded to sit down at the stool in front of his table. That was her usual sitting area, next to the only friend she's made in the wasteland: Gob the ghoul. As she walked, however, her eyes were caught by a man in the suit sitting down at the chair in the corner.

His eyes were masked by his sunglasses that looked as if it was manufactured by a wealthy prewar company. He was wearing a business suit along with a matching hat. It was no longer unusual to see that man looking so formal in a place like this. It was also not peculiar that he was bidding her to come forth to him. She was familiarized with this sight because every time she came to visit Gob and to get a drink, this man would be sitting on the same seat while performing the same hand gesture to her. Each time she saw him, she would ignore him, but it's been about 2 weeks, and yet he's still persistent about their meeting. What could a man like that possibly want with a girl like her? For his sake, he'd better not be assuming she was a hooker like Nova, or she would almost certainly hit him for that thought. She decided to take the chance and approached the mysterious man out of curiosity.

"Ah, my dear. I've been waiting for you. Your presence here surely delights me." He spoke in a charming tone of voice along with a smile. All she could see in what just happened was pure bullshit. This was all a front for something he wanted from her.

"I'm going to have to ask for you to get to the point, if you would be as so kind. What do you want?" She spoke coldly. She didn't come in this saloon to take part of this dull socializing. She was looking quite forward to drinking a cold glass of beer and telling Gob about more of her adventures in the wasteland. He positively enjoyed listening to her stories.

The man responded with a chuckle. "My, aren't you in a rush to get into business. I like that." He smirked at her. That gave her chills. She wasn't sure if he was trying to be seductive to get what he wanted, or it came out natural for a sophisticated man like himself. "I'm sure you have noticed the giant bomb dwelling in the middle of the city?"

She nodded her head in affirmation.

He leaned back onto his chair and locked his fingers together. He stared onto the girl before him. "You have no connection to these people. You seem to be someone who value their life more than the sake of others." He nodded towards the stain of blood on the hip of her leather armor.

She placed her hand over the spot. That was the area where she had shot the man who had previously worn this armor. She didn't expect anyone to find such an insignificant stain so easily as this man. "The bomb", He continued, "It is still alive. I want you to detonate the bomb with the Fusion Pulse Charge I have in my possession. If you accept this job, I promise you a life full of luxury and wealth."

She felt as if a dagger had struck her heart. She had always wanted an opportunity such as this. One small deed that could lead to a lifetime of comfort and lavishness. This small deed, however, involved a killing of a massive amount of people. She didn't give two shits about most of the people that resided here, but she thought about the children and Gob. They undoubtedly don't deserve a sudden death like that.

"What's your name?" She spoke quietly.

"Mr. Burke."

"What's your first name?"

"My dear, we have only just met. Let's not get too friendly here. This is strictly business…though I admit I may find you more arousal than a sheer bomb detonator recruiter."

She wanted to scoff. He probably compliments every woman that he wishes to work with. He can't even see her face with her hood covering her head!

"Well then, Mister Burke. I'm afraid I'm going to decline your offer. I'm not interested in a job such as that, and I advise you to refrain talking to me ever again." She turned around to leave. She had always thought of herself as being a revolting individual for killing handfuls of innocent people from time to time. This man, however, was comfortable enough to be able to kill the entire town filled with women and children. He was more disgusting than she could ever imagine. He made her feel like a saint.

"Alice!" He spoke sharply before she could even take the first step away from him.

Her eyes widened in surprise and quickly turned around to face him.

"How did you…."

"This is a small town. It doesn't require much effort to recognize the individuals here." The fake smile that was once plastered on his face was now gone. He was wholly serious. "Do you honestly want to spend the rest of your life rotting away in a place like this? Look at me."

She hesitated before tilting her head upwards to face him uneasily. During their whole conversation, she had been looking down at the ground, avoiding his gaze. Now that she got a closer look at him, she noticed he was different than the other Megaton settlers. He was….clean. There wasn't a speck of dirt on his skin and his outfit was well-made. As if it's been recently tailored. It's surprising to see how hygienic one can be when the wasteland is filled with…waste. It was hard to clean oneself anyways since the water was filled with radiation. He raised his arms to the side, allowing her to view everything there is to see from where she was standing.

"You are looking at a very successful man who lives in highest floor of Tenpenny Tower. It's a hotel filled with fresh water, food, clothes, and anything wastelanders would kill to get into. However, they will never have the chance to do so. You, however, do." The smile returned to his face as he finished talking. "All you have to do is to accomplish one simple deed, and it's all yours."

She didn't respond and continued standing there. She felt herself jumping slightly as he suddenly got onto his feet and leaned towards her, stopping when he was inches away from her face. Their lips were slightly touching as he whispered against her. "I promise you, once you experience my reward; you won't have to take a gamble as to whether you'll live today, or die tomorrow. You'll be safe forever, enjoying the luxurious benefits Tenpenny Tower has to offer to you."

Alice couldn't tell if he could feel her own lips trembling against his. She's never been this close to anyone before, and the heat that was escaping from his breath and body was making her nervous. She stepped back from him to regain her comfort zone, but was pulled back instantly. Her hood flew from her head from the force and her lock of hair was released as her crimson eyes looked upon the man who was now staring intently at her. His eyes had widened in what it seems to be of surprise, but they returned to normal when he resumed to what he initially planned to do. She felt something poking her lightly on her stomach and looked down to see a gun.

"It's a silenced 10mm pistol. If your answer to my proposition is what I think it is, I expect you to tell me right now why I shouldn't use this on you." She looked back up at him. She was now close enough to faintly see his eyes hidden behind his glasses. They were staring into her own hues. She noticed something. Although his eyes were silently threatening her, it wasn't from rage. They looked as if they were…hungry. Lustful.

She then had an idea. She can use him to get to that Tenpenny Tower place without killing all these people. She already had him in the palm of her hands. If she worked her charms correctly, perhaps it'll work to her advantage.

Her lips curved to a grin and slid her hands from his stomach all the way up to his chest. She could feel his abs underneath his clothing as she did so. She allowed one of her hand to rest on his chest while continued sliding her other hand upwards until it reached the side of his face. "I'll grant you a favor with my company. How does that sound?" The words came seductively out of her mouth; almost in the form of a moan. Although she did not have any sort of sexual experiences before, it was fortunate that she had the ability to lie about it.

Mr. Burke was staring at her. She couldn't tell what he was thinking, so she waiting. It looked as if he was searching for any hint of falsehood in her words. He smirked again and leaned his head forward so that his lips were touching against her ear. "I suppose we can arrange that. You'd best be as skillful you seem to be." He then grabbed her hand and pulled her away towards the door. She quickly looked back at Gob. He was watching her confusedly. She hoped this wasn't going to be the last time she will see her only friend.

She sighed as they walked. Although she was somewhat excited to see the place, she was not anticipating the long walk there. Mr. Burke was still holding her hand. She's never held anyone's hand before other than her dad's, but that was when she was a young child. His hands felt a bit rough. He must work a lot with his hands. Just what kind of business is he involved in that requires so much work? Could he be part of a group that requires a lot of killing?

"We are here, my dear."

She snapped out of her trance and looked up at the building in front of them. It has been less than 5 minutes, and they were still in Megaton. This must be some kind of joke.

"No need to fret, dear. This is my temporary house in this town. This is where I stayed to wait patiently for you to arrive." He gave her another one of his smile, though she felt as if there was a hint of irritation behind that beam. "I'll need to gather some belongings, so if you would please come with me to get them." She grumbled. She was one with a lack of patience.

Once he opened the door, she walked in quickly to get it over with. Unlike the other houses in Megaton, his place was pretty organized, as expected from someone like him. She heard the sound of the door closing behind her along with the sound of the door being locked. She turned around to see Mr. Burke loosening up his tie and then sliding it off.

"Mr. Burke? What…What are you doing?" Her voice was beginning to shake. She thought they were going to go to Tenpenny Tower. That was when she was going to find a way to kill him off and take his room for herself.

"My dear…I expect you didn't actually believe I was that much of an idiot? You've just landed yourself into a perfect mess." He spoke calmly as he began slipping off his jacket and collared shirt.

She looked at him in horror. He had known all along! She was about to reach for her .32 pistol when she heard a loud shot and felt her gun flying out of her fingertips. She looked back at Mr. Burke to find him glaring at her. His pants were unbuttoned and he was now pointing the gun at her. "Dear, you'd best behave yourself and not get any ideas. Let us enjoy this momentary peace now, shall we?" He removed his glasses and looked up at her. His eyes were now clearly shown as he slowly walked to her. She could tell he was feeling a mixture of victory, anger, and hunger. There was no stopping him. He was going to get what he wanted, and unfortunately, he wanted her.


	2. The Rash Of The Beast's Touch

Chapter 2

Author's Note: Thank you everyone who enjoyed the first chapter of my first fan fiction! ^^ I also apologize ahead of time for this chapter because it's the first time I've written so much smut, I don't know if it would be close to any of your expectations who demanded more. ;A; The lemon part may seem too rushed and awkward but hopefully I can improve during the future chapters~ Also, I'll be including certain Fallout 3 characters in the future chapters as well, so I hope you all are expecting lotsa conflict. Haha.

The lone wanderer's eyelids fluttered open to see the brightness of the lights upon the decorated ceiling hitting her eyes. The bed she was laying on was soft. She never recalled ever feeling a bed as soft as this since she left the vault. The sheets on the bed were also oddly spotless. She looked to her left to see a few wardrobes and a desk in good condition. She felt as if she was resting in a room back in the prewar days. She quickly realized how ridiculous that thought was. She couldn't remember how she ended up here and sat up. She instantly laid back down when she felt a painful throb in her stomach. She grunted and placed her hands over her abdomen in pain. What could have possibly happened? She also noticed her attire. She was no longer wearing her leather armor and was now wearing some pink nightgown that barely covered any of her skin.

"Ah, my dear. It seems you have awakened." A familiar voice was heard at the doorway to the bedroom she was in. She looked over to see a fully clothed Mr. Burke standing there with a jar in his hand. He had a gash on the side of his face, but it was more eerie to see him with the same smile he had on his face when they had met. She then remembered what had happened.

She was still in Megaton when it occurred. She was in Mr. Burke's home and he had a gun pointed at her when he walked towards her. She was terrified of what he was about to do, but she had no gun to stop him. He was getting closer. At the very last second, she remembered that she had a pocket knife hidden nicely in her armor and took it out quickly, striking it at his head. Mr. Burke, who did not foresee such an action, felt a stinging sensation on the side of his cheek when he dodged her sudden attack. She would have most likely slashed his eyes off if he had not moved in time.

"God damn bitch!" He ran back towards her before she could react. He wrapped his fingers into a fist and punched her stomach. That was when she blacked out.

"Dear?"

She blinked. His voice snapped her out of it as usual and she looked away from him in terror. She could hear his footsteps walking towards her and was expecting a slap from him, but instead felt his hand taking a lock of her long hair and was examining it.

"I do apologize for spouting cruel words at you and had brought pain to your stomach, but I did warn you not to try anything." He spoke gently. He didn't seem angry at all, but what he did afterwards proved her wrong. The hair that he had just taken softly into his fingers was now being yanked hard by him. He pulled her head closely to him and crouched down so that they were facing each other.

"Next time I will not be as forgiving if you dare do anything like that again. You'd best be grateful."

She looked into his eyes in fear rather than in pain from his forceful grip and nodded her head quickly. He released her hair and motioned her to lie down. She quickly obeyed. She didn't think he had any vulgar intentions at the moment since one of his hands was still occupied from holding the mysterious jar. He grabbed the chair from the desk and brought it to the side of the bed to sit down. To Alice's shock, he lifted up her nightgown, exposing her bare lower area. She didn't believe he had also stripped off her panties when he changed her into this trashy outfit.

"W—What do you think you're doing?" Her tone of voice was the sound of distraught, but she knew better than to act upon it. He had stripped off both her armory and weapons…not to mention her pride. She was vulnerable, and she hated it. She hated him.

"I'm tending to your aching, dear. This cream helps relieve abdomen pain." He spoke efficiently as he took a bit of the cream onto a handkerchief and rubbed it against her stomach. He couldn't help but to smirk. Even though he was holding a handkerchief, he could still feel how soft her stomach was. He tried his best not to get distracted by her pale-pink exposure at her lower region. Meanwhile, Alice was feeling extremely uncomfortable. She could feel the warm cream being rubbed upon her stomach. It felt so strange with his large hands on her small stomach. She could feel his excitement. She could feel his eyes on her body. This was embarrassing and she just wanted it to end. She could feel her face heating up into a blush. His touch was warm, and she admitted that the combination of his motion and cream made her stomach feel better.

Mr. Burke looked over at her face. It seems that she was actually enjoying his touch. "If you like that, you'll love what I have in store for you later." He chuckled and stood up to place the chair and cream back onto the desk area. As he walked away from her, she watched him. Although he may be a wicked bastard, that small act of kindness he had just done for her in hopes of easing his earlier wrongdoings towards her makes him to be less of a sadistic being as she had thought. He could have just taken advantage of her defenseless body when she was unconscious and do whatever unmentionables he's capable of doing, but he didn't. Her eyes lowered towards his body. He had a slim figure, but she knew he wasn't scrawny when she watched him strip off his shirt back at his house in Megaton. That thought reminded her that she didn't know where she was.

"Are we at Tenpenny Tower?" She asked.

"Indeed we are." Mr. Burke responded as he took off his coat. "You are now resting in my room. It's fortunate that you're so light. Otherwise, it would have been such a pain to haul you all the way over here."

She looked at him restlessly as she watched the layers of his clothes coming off. This time, however, she was less frightened and more relaxed. She wondered if it was from the effect of the cream he had placed on her stomach. It could also be that she has finally accepted her inescapable doom. Nevertheless, she was still scared. She tried continuing the conversation to stall time.

"And did you dress me into this skanky outfit?"

Mr. Burke laughed lightly and nodded his head. "I couldn't have you hiding anymore weapons and have a repeat of last time, could I?" He was only wearing his pants and was now walking towards her. She had always thought of her life as a game of survival. The people she has killed were all minor enemies. This man, however, was the final boss of the game. How can she win when she was in the core of his den? She was defenseless against him. The game was over ever since she decided to converse with him. What a grievous mistake she has made. She could have ignored Mr. Burke as usual and sat down with Gob to tell him about how she had recently discovered a cave filled with children while drinking delicious beer. Curiosity truly killed the cat.

He sat down beside her on the bed and looked down at her. She was ravishing. Her crimson eyes looked up at him in defeat. Those were the eyes he has been waiting for. He knew she had taken lives from the innocence. He had his men watch over her while she was out in the wasteland. However, her personality was far from indecent. No matter how much she tries to hide it by pretending to be confident and cruel, her eyes still showed the innocence that is portrayed in her character. He will have the greatest delight to change that. Her skin was flawless as he placed a hand over her shoulder. The softness just tickled against the rough skin against his hand. He kept his hand there and placed the other hand on the pillow next to her head and leaned down, allowing his face to hover over hers.

"Your eyes are divine. You are, beyond doubt, the gem of the filth in this world."

She glared at him. There has not been a single soul alive that has ever complimented her eyes other than her dad. She wasn't even sure if her own father was proud of the unique color of his daughter's eyes. His kind words about her eyes were only brought up because she has been crying to him about Butch and his friends teasing her about them. They called her a possessed demon. They called her a vampire in disguise. She has always been sickened with her eyes, and it was hard to believe that the first and only man to actually be aroused by her eyes was Mr. Burke. It was also incredibly ill-fated for her first sexual experience to be with someone as disgusting as this man.

"Mr. Burke, I'd best tell you that I lied. I've never done anything like this before, so I think you should release me right now and I'll be on my way." Hopefully, he'd be turn off by the lack of experience she's had. She frowned, seeing her worries were not dispelled when she saw his grin widened from her words. Mr. Burke has had several women before, but they were all mostly prostitutes who went to him to offer their services because they could easily tell by his exterior just how wealthy he was. They had a lot of sexual experiences and knew what to do whenever they did their job so he didn't have to do much during their company and allowed them to do what they wanted with him. He also never had to fight or work to lure them into his room. This girl, however, didn't seem to have much experience with the male gender other than killing them. He could tell with the awkward way they held hands back at Megaton when he took her to his house. She was so unadulterated…like a drop of purified water in the sea of radiation. He was now in charge. He was the successful hunter that will be devouring his prey.

"I'll be sure to be very gentle with you then, dear." He then leaned forward, pressing his lips against her. Despite what he had just said, his kiss was rougher than she had expected from such a sophisticated man. She could feel his tongue slithering across her lips and into her mouth. She placed both of her hands on his chest, trying to push him off of her but felt his hands gripping onto her wrists and pinning them over her head without removing his lips away from hers. The blush that was already painted on her cheeks has gotten darker. His tongue was so moist and warm, it felt…nice. She whimpered in defeat as she stopped struggling against him. He noticed this, and released her wrists to move himself lower to her chest. He removed the clothing that barely covered her and looked down at her body. Her eyes were closed tightly in embarrassment which sort of irritated him. When he complimented her eyes, he meant it. Now he was unable to look at them when he's about to make love to her. Mr. Burke decided to let it go for now and placed his hands onto her breasts that were now exposed, and fondled them gently. He watched her, waiting for her to react pleasurably. He watched as she bit her lower lip and felt her whole body tremble in delight. He chuckled and brought his head back down to her breasts and circled his tongue around her hardened nipple while he used his free hand to play with her other breast, using his index finger to play with the nipple and rubbed it circularly just as he was doing with his tongue for the other breast. Alice gave off a weak moan. Her body already formed beads of sweat. His simple motions were already making her sexually exhausted. However, he was far from being finished.

He stopped and crawled over her. She looked up at him curiously, wondering why he had stopped. Her eyebrows curved into what seemed to be of annoyance. He had stopped right when she had begun to enjoy what he was doing. He grinned down at her and used one arm to support himself to linger over her while using the other one to slide it down across her body. She giggled a bit from his fingertips gliding across her soft skin. She was rather ticklish. Her giggling stopped when she felt his fingers on her dampened lower region.

"Mr. Burke, d-don't…"

He silenced her by giving her another passionate kiss and began rubbing her. Her soft moans against his kiss began to increase in volume as she felt his fingers rubbing against her faster and harder. She began spreading her legs further apart as he continued. He then slipped a finger into her and felt her body wriggle in enjoyment. He slipped a second finger into her and began thrusting them into her. He enjoyed feeling how wet she was, because it meant she desired him just as he did for her. She pulled her face away from him to grab onto the pillow on the other side of her face, biting onto the fabric. It felt wonderful, and she didn't want to end up biting Mr. Burke's tongue from enduring something so pleasurable. So pleasurable, that she could barely stand it. Her body was shaking underneath him. All the negative thoughts she thought of him beforehand were forgotten. All she cared about now was wanting him to continue making her feel this amazing. Mr. Burke stopped when he took a look at her face. She was already close to finishing off. He pulled his fingers out of her and pulled his pants down. She looked down at him in frustration. He kept stopping whenever she was about to cum and it was exasperating her.

"Oh don't worry dear. If you enjoyed that, this bit will make you feel ways you've never even dreamed of." He took out his hardened member and grinned at her. Her face was now fully red as she looked at it. His size was larger than she had imagined, and it was going to be inside her. She didn't think it would even fit. She shook her head in protest, but was ignored as she felt her chest being crushed by his. He had wrapped his arm around her head and was gripping onto her hair gently and placed his other arm on the other side. He wasn't going to allow her to get away now. He's never had his ways with a virgin before, and he was about to find out how it's like. He then slowly slipped himself into her as smoothly as he can. He grunted as he felt her walls tighten around his cock and was actually having a hard time pinning her down as she screamed in pain.

"J-Just hang in there. It'll feel better soon enough." He managed to pant out as he kept himself in her, but didn't do anything. He just kept it in there so that she could adjust to his size. Alice was whimpering from the sting. She never thought sex would be as painful as a raider shooting her in the arm. This must be what giving birth would be like if it were to be backwards. Her whimpering dyed down as she felt the hurting fade away. Mr. Burke became aware of this at once and began moving his hips against her. He was careful not to be too rough for the time being. He smirked as he felt her hot breath against his neck as she panted. She was enjoying everything he was doing to her, and it satisfied him greatly. He took this as a signal to go faster. It wasn't long before the moans she was giving out earlier returned.

"Oh...B-Burke…"

Usually that would earn her a slap on the face. He had a pet peeve for people who didn't address him correctly as Mr. Burke, but he instantaneously forgave her. The way she said it breathlessly sounded so delicious, he didn't mind if she were to call his name like that from now till forever. It encouraged him to pound into her even deeper. Although both of them could smell the aroma of blood, neither of them had cared. The pain Alice was feeling earlier has been long gone and they were close to finishing. He groaned as he slipped the arm that was gripping her hair to hold up her lovely body that was arched against his. It didn't take long until both of them felt their liquids gushing out of themselves, along with hearing the sound of each other's ecstasy.

They were both breathing heavily in exhaustion as Mr. Burke simply laid upon Alice, resting his head next to hers. He turned to face her and placed his hand over her cheek, rubbing it lightly.

"Well now, my dear. Did you enjoy that?"

Alice looked over at him weakly. How could he even have the energy to speak after such a work out? He must have had a lot of practice with this sort of thing. She didn't think of ways to respond. There was no reason to defend her pride that is no longer in existence thanks to him.

"I-I suppose it was fine." She muttered lowly.

Mr. Burke laughed. He had expected some childlike retort, but was pleasingly taken aback to receive a praise for his work well done.

"…So how many girls have you done this with?" Alice asked abruptly and looked over at him. She wasn't sure why she had asked in the first place, but was unable to stop herself from questioning.

He raised an eyebrow at her. He was just as puzzled as she was as to the reason for her curiosity. However, he found her innocent inquisitiveness to be somewhat adorable. He chuckled and looked back up at the ceiling.

"I might have had several women. In fact, one of them still lives in this hotel."

Alice blinked. "Oh? What's her name?"

Mr. Burke grinned. The amount of interest this girl was giving off showed as if she was growing fond of him. He enjoyed her attention, unlike his other experience with women who were so full of vanity. He's never one for long term relationships even if he wanted to. He was used to women attempting to use him for his wealth, but their efforts were useless. He can easily read people, and those women were far too easy to read. This girl was indisputably interested in him. Instead of kicking her out of the hotel to rot in the wasteland like he had planned, he decided to keep her with him for a bit longer.

"You needn't worry about it, dear. I assure you, my relationship with her has been terminated for quite some time now. She asked me for my company for some cash, is all."

This took Alice back. The way he said it made it sound as if she was envious. To be jealous is if she was to be in love with him, and that was not possible. She refuse to fall in love with a pathetic human being such as himself. In fact, she refused to even acknowledge this man as being anything near decent. She decided to ignore him and turned away from him in aggravation. Mr. Burke laughed quietly when he noticed her reaction and climbed off of the bed to slip on his clothes that he had thrown to the ground earlier. Before Alice could even consider this as an opportunity as a chance to do something, he looked up at her as he buttoned his collared shirt.

"I should inform you that I've told the security guards about your stay. They'll be keeping a close watch on you, should you try to escape."

She groaned in defeat. He knew her too well and they've only just met.

He stared at her for awhile before smiling at her. "I'm going to be off to buy some items downstairs. You may use the bathroom or wander around my room for a bit. However, you may not go past this door." He pointed at the door to his right. That was the door that led to the hallways. She nodded her head as he left. She noticed his smile just now….it wasn't like the smiles he's given out before. This wasn't a fake smile or a smile full of lust. This was a genuine smile as if he was actually happy. She felt a hint of warm feeling in her heart when she had noticed. She shook off the sentiment and stormed off into the lavatory. She couldn't care for a man like Mr. Burke. He was a man who was crazed with greed and lust. A man like that would always be equivalent to a monster in her eyes. There was nothing likeable about this man, and she was going to endure her stay at this hellhole with this beast until she could find a way to escape or kill him. She cannot fall in love with him. She cannot like him as a normal human being. These types of feelings are useless in the game of survival. She had lost the game earlier. This time, it's time to play again.


	3. Ther Power of Aristocracy

(Author's Note: This chapter was pretty boring to write up because it's just a build up to chapter 4 which is where the real drama/fun happens. ^^; Hope you'll still enjoy this even though it took me ages to update! Haha.)

**The Power of Aristocracy**

Alice exhaled a large amount of breath as she sank her entire body into the warm and clean water in the tub that was located in Mr. Burke's palace of a bathroom. Although she was in a foul mood after what had happened in his bedroom earlier, this blissful moment was to be cherished for as long as possible. After what seemed to be ages of torture in the wasteland and suffering in the hands of the devil, Mr. Burke; she was in complete paradise here at this very tub. This was the first time in two weeks that she can finally be unquestionable about the amount of radiation that plagues the water and soap. Fortunately, everything Mr. Burke owned was in perfect shape. This was the life she has yearned for ever since she took her first step into the wasteland. This was a place filled with everything she wanted with no worries. The only thing dreadful about this whole situation is Mr. Burke himself. However, even though he was obviously a man full of wickedness and disgust, there was something about him that was…enchanting. Perhaps it's because he had the characteristics of a perfect gentleman and a personality like that rarely existed in such a chaotic world like the Capital Wasteland. This may all be very well an act to fulfill his own selfish desires, but she had to admit it works quite well. Perhaps this was why she wasn't as disgusted as she had claimed she was. All he needed was a good heart, and then her purpose for suffering so much in the wasteland would be well worth the effort. She knew she had already promised herself not to have any positive feelings for that evil man, whether it be platonic or not. Alice's extreme relaxation in the bathtub caused her mind to wander around aimlessly, allowing her to temporarily forget that she was actually a fly trapped into the web of his lust. She had momentarily forgotten that she was to kill the spider who had had cleverly trapped her into his web, but had decided not to devour her completely and sadistically enjoyed watching her suffer under his control. He was a man who took advantage of the power he seemed to crave for, which resulted in Alice to be the foolish girl she is. She was to be ensnared to perform to his every wish until she can either formulate a plan to escape, or to be his sexual toy for the rest of her miserable life in his personal hellhole that's cunningly disguised as a magnificent paradise.

Suddenly, Alice felt a sudden flood of water engulfing her entire face. The water rushed into her nose and mouth, causing her breath to come to a complete stop. She raised both of her hands towards the surface of the water to cling onto the sides of the bathtub and quickly pulled herself upwards so that she could resume breathing. She placed a hand on her chest, trying to keep her breaths in a normal pattern. She had been so comfortable in the bathtub that she had accidently sank her body too deeply into it, which had caused her head to sink into the water as well. It would be atrocious if she were to accidently drown in the demon's bathtub. This was when she had became fully aware of her wrongdoings with Mr. Burke on the bed earlier and how she had just considered accepting him as a person. This thought made her shiver in abhorrence with herself and grabbed the bar of soap from the side of the tub to begin scrubbing it vigorously onto her skin. She must clean out everything that felt as if Mr. Burke's touch was still upon her. She couldn't believe she actually enjoyed everything he did to her when she had protested so much beforehand. She also couldn't believe that she was actually considering him to be a decent human being when he was obviously far from one. He was a disease that was making her weaker and weaker, and this hopeless act of washing her skin felt as if it was the only way to cleanse herself, despite knowing that the whole room was already plagued by Mr. Burke's touch. If only she didn't have to share the bathtub with the likes of him.

She was scrubbing the soap against her arm so roughly that the soap slipped out of her gripping palms and sank into the bottom of the tub. Alice slowly looked at the ceiling. What if she was born to please this filthy old man? What was the point of survival if he had taken every scrap of freedom and opportunity from her? If that's how things are going to be, there wasn't any point in trying to survive anymore. Her life, at the moment, was to serve Mr. Burke with her body, and that was not a life worth existing for. Her life is worth nothing, and she brought this upon herself—by thinking she could deceive the ingenious Mr. Burke with her inexperienced lies. She grabbed the towel and wrapped her body around with it. She then entered the bedroom to fetch her disgusting garment he had dressed her in when she woke up in his room. However, in place of where she had last remembered seeing the clothing was now occupied by an equally disgusting figure: Mr. Burke. He was now looking at her pleasantly.

Oh how she wanted to punch that smile off of his face.

"Ah, dear. It seems that you've finally finished freshening up. You certainly took your time. Tell me, isn't it just wondrous to live in the life with a man that can afford to share his royalty with you?" He leaned forward to place his elbows on his knees that were spread slightly apart. Although his tone was of a normal conversationalist, his eyes showed a man crazed with lust and Alice could just feel his eyes mentally peeling the layers of the towel off of her. His eyes claimed her as his sexual object, and that's all she is to him. Alice could think of a number of sarcastic remarks she could use to respond to him, but she had decided what to do. She was not going to give him the satisfaction of her suffering, and was simply going to be an empty shell and perhaps a very loud and obnoxious childlike being when the time comes. This was the only way he was going to be so fed up with her; he will try to find some way to get rid of her. She didn't care anymore whether she would have to fight him off from killing her or suffer into the harsh wastelands with nothing on her. Anything was better than this.

Mr. Burke frowned. "You will refrain from priding yourself with this childish stubbornness and overconfidence." He warned her. "Speak."

Alice remained silent, though she was shaking slightly.

"If you try my patience further, I fear you're going to greatly dislike what is to come next. It involves removing that towel and punishing you with several torturing methods that I can easily think of right here and now. " He grinned widely. Alice could simply not take this risk. If she was going to share another horrendous night with this sickening bloke, she was going to take as much time as she could.

"…So this is your technique to get what you want?" She suddenly spoke to him coldly and looked up at him with a fierce glare, rage pouring out of them and into his. "To take advantage of the bitter feelings I have for you?"

Mr. Burke stood up with great speed, which caused Alice to take a step back in surprise. She noticed he had dropped something on the bed as he stood up, but she had a bigger problem than satisfying her curiosity right now. He walked towards her and grip onto the back of her hair and pulled her towards him, planting a very deep kiss onto her. His tongue was wrestling for dominance against hers, and Alice could feel her towel slipping as she tried to pry him off of her, though her strength was being consumed by the passionate kiss. It was sucking her into him. He slowly stopped and smiled at her face who was silently longing for more, in spite of her glare that dishonestly screamed of antipathy.

"Do not lie, Alice. Your feelings for me are nowhere near bitter. Your scent of yearning is just too massive to be ignored." He chuckled and tilted his head to the side, pressing his lips against her neck softly. He then pulled away headed towards the door. As he placed his hand onto the doorknob that led to the hallways, he nodded towards the bed that had a package placed on top of the blankets.

"Please wear the item that's in the package that I have just bought for you. I don't suppose you want to spend the rest of the day here, correct? If you're going to walk around this first-class hotel, you will look like a first-class woman."

Alice looked over at the package uneasily. She wasn't sure how much skin the mysterious attire will show. She simply did not trust Mr. Burke for his unpredictable, witty, lewd ways. Mr. Burke took one look at her face to realize what she was thinking. "Just open it." The tone of his voice was soft, but Alice could feel the impatient temper in his eyes. "I will be waiting outside, and I expect you to be ready in 10 minutes." Alice heard the sound of the door closing shut as she stared at the package. She sighed as she figured what could possibly be the worst and sat on the bed. She then started to unwrap it and opened the box to see a clothing that was neatly folded. She took it out of the box and stood back up to hold the dress in front of her. It was surprisingly modest, but it was much too feminine for her taste. There she was, holding a pink dress that reached down to her knees with a red ribbon that was wrapped around the waist of the dress in which she would have to tie into a bow on the back. The dress was sleeveless and the style seemed like a genuine copy of a dress from the prewar days…except it was in fantastic shape. The fabric was very soft, and she could not find a single flaw on the dress. It was impossible not to be impressed. This must be another perk for living in the life of luxury. She threw the towel on her bed and slipped the dress on herself. After tying the lace on the lower back of her dress, she looked at herself on the mirror before her. She casted aside the fact that she was mildly uncomfortable wearing such an elegant and girlish attire, whereas wearing her vault suit or even the armor she stole from a raider's corpse last week was much more desirable to her. Perhaps it was because she never once thought about dressing herself up for anyone's viewing pleasure. She has always reflected upon the fact that she didn't fit the qualities of the female species anyways. However, to Alice's surprise, the dress actually made her look—like a girl. A girl who looked as if she had never harmed a fly. A girl who looked as if she had never participated in any vulgar activities. She was so accustomed to seeing herself as a repulsive killer, but now she only saw herself as an innocent being. It's astonishing how a simple garment such as this can transform a woman altogether. She actually felt stunning. Everything was perfect. Everything except…those eyes. Those eyes that looked as if she was a demon. She can dress up as many times as she want to pretend that she's a civilized human being, but those haunting eyes will always show the genuineness as to how sickening she truly is. This reminded her about how Mr. Burke kept telling her sweet words about the very eyes she hated. How could he even say that? She was better off ripping her own eyes out of her sockets with her bare hands so she no longer had to feel the need to have any hatred towards something she could never change about herself. If only….if only she never had those red eyes, she wouldn't be ignored and bullied as she grew up. If she was never ignored…then maybe she wouldn't have such a foul and unfeminine personality and actually be a gentle and kind girl that any man would fall for. Alas, that was only to be a vision she could never even dream about. However, this was no time to have the urge to execute self mutilation on her own eyes and have self pity upon herself. Mr. Burke was waiting for her, and judging from his prior behavior that screamed intolerance, she assumed it was not best to keep him waiting.

As she placed her hand on the doorknob, she paused. She heard voices from the outside, and one of them was from Mr. Burke whilst she could not identify the other two voices that were with him.

"Mr. Burke, what should we do about Megaton? Shouldn't we find a way to set it to blow?" asked the voice of a man whom Alice could not recognize.

"That plan is to be postponed. We have other jobs to be more concerned about such as the contract with Paradise Falls." Mr. Burke spoke professionally.

There was another voice squeaking. "Mr. Burke! Mr. Tennpenny specifically said that Megat—"

"My orders are final!" Mr. Burke spoke a bit louder and firmer, causing the other two men to clam up immediately. Alice was not aware that Mr. Burke had such an important status that was high enough for him to give out orders like this. But why? Why has he delayed the plan to destroy Megaton when he was so persistent before she met him? She can vividly remember seeing him sitting at the bar day after day. He was waiting for her to do the job. He had it all planned out to bribe her to do this wicked job for him. What manner of person is he? Why has he delayed the plans he was so willing to execute earlier? It couldn't be for her….

Alice realized that the voices were now gone. Perhaps they were talking more softly now? She released the doorknob to press her hands and her ear against the door to listen more closely. However, right as she did this, the door swung open, causing Alice to fall into the arms of Mr. Burke.

"Hmm? What is this? Have you been listening, dear?" He wrapped his arms around her, holding her closely to his chest. He has been having such an amused and enjoyable attitude lately, and it was getting onto Alice's nerves. Furthermore, she could feel an overpowered sense of embarrassment as she felt her quick heart beats pounding against her chest from the warmth of his arms. The only quick pounding she wanted to feel in her heart was the adrenaline rush she could only feel when she was out in the wasteland, fighting for her survival, and winning every one of the battles she encountered. Alas, her face has become bright red from this simple action of affection. Why did she have to be so weak and clumsy at the most inconvenient moments of her life?

"Enough of this farce! Release me at once!" She yelled in pure annoyance. She did not care if she resulted as looking like a child in a tantrum. She could not stand the confusion of her emotions and it was all his fault from doing something as simple as holding in his arms.

"So what will you do if I don't let you go, dear? Will you attack me and risk receiving calamity to befall you in the near future? Or will you simply be a good girl and…" He placed his hand under her chin to forcefully pull her face upwards to look at him. He drew closer to her lips. "…Give into me?"

Alice eyes narrowed as she suddenly fell silent. Her body was frozen from shock, and this ego of his was outrageous. However, she was baffled. Why wasn't she disgusted? Why wasn't she using all her strength to struggle out of his grasp? This curse of Mr. Burke continued to make her feel weak and give into the power of obedience that flows strongly through her. She wanted to cry and scream all at once from this unwanted acceptance for Mr. Burke. However, the simplicity of crying and screaming doesn't even come close to how she felt inside. She had also wanted to laugh in shock and vomit her guts and heart from being so contradicting about her feelings like this. All the emotions are eagerly waiting to be expressed by this multifaceted human being named Alice. However, it was just humanly unfeasible to convey, so she simply smiled in defeat. She has decided not to look into her unstable emotions any longer and decided to simply accept any emotions that she has felt and that she will be feeling about later on. Oh, how she will regret this capitulation.

Mr. Burke was taken aback by her reaction and pulled his face slightly away from hers with revelation and suspiciousness. What astonished him the most was that smile. That lovely smile that he had only seen when she talked to that ghoul back at Megaton. Why was she smiling at him? Whatever the reason was, all Mr. Burke knew was that the smile was just for him, and those beautiful eyes were peering onto him. Those eyes….it was unknown why Mr. Burke was so drawn onto those eyes that most people would loathe. But…why would she have the bravery to look into his eyes that were currently hidden behind his glasses with that smile? Did he shatter her illusion of hating him already? Or…is that smile not the genuine smile he has been waiting so longingly to see?

Alice took this opportunity of his confused state to pull away from his weakened arms. Although there weren't many people at the location, the very few people that happened to be there had their eyes locked onto the two. There was so much discomfiture Alice can tolerate. "I pray for your sake, this outing will include beer." She spoke lowly while placing some of her hair behind her ear as an attempt to act casual. Mr. Burke chuckled and nodded.

"As you wish, my dear. We are on our way to have luncheon anyways."

He began walking towards the elevator and Alice was following closely behind him. She was afraid that she was going to be lost in this monumental place. As the elevator opened, there stood a guard who looked nervous. He quickly stepped out of the elevator and stood at the side of it.

"G—Good day sir!" He stammered. Mr. Burke cocked an eyebrow as he looked over at the guard. He didn't recognize him and he was familiar with all the guards in this hotel. The guard noticed Mr. Burke's suspicious reaction and began speaking again. "Ah…I—I'm Braedon! I am new to this facility!" He saluted Mr. Burke to prove his loyalty. At this moment, Mr. Burke did not want to even pay attention to this happening and walked into the elevator, ignoring the guard's words. Alice lowered her head to avoid the tense environment and followed Mr. Burke into the elevator. As the elevator doors were closing, the soldier smiled sheepishly at Alice, causing Mr. Burke to immediately place one of his arms around Alice's shoulder. Alice looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. Mr. Burke wasn't envious, was he? She was under the impression that she was only a mere toy for him to play with. It was a matter of time for him to grow tired of her just like that girl he was talking about on the bed earlier.

The elevator doors shut completely, and Mr. Burke took this chance to slip his arm away from her. He was displeased that another man had set his eyes on her, whether it may be just a friendly glance or not. Mr. Burke felt a painful and burning sensation in his chest from the thought of any other man besides himself looking and touching his Alice. However, given the imperative and serious stature of his, he was not allowed to show any emotions and affection to Alice like this. He had to restrain himself from acts as simple as holding her hand in public. He would get in trouble with his boss, Mr. Tennpenny. Mr. Burke wondered…why does he have such a bizarre obsession for this girl? His thoughts, for the first time in his turn, were interrupted by Alice.

"Why did you ignore him?" Alice spoke softly. The silence in the air was too much for her to handle, and her first time being in an elevator was making her feel uneasy. "As a captain, I assume that you should be more inspirational and kinder to your fellow soldiers that seem to idolize you." Her arms were folded against her chest. She was staring at the doors in front of her, waiting for them to open. Mr. Burke smirked.

"No need for your appreciative concern, dear. However, it is not my responsibility to act like a mother for this 'fellow soldier'." Mr. Burke spoke dispassionately. "If it's anyone's job, it would be the job of Chief Gustav. He's the true captain of his men. The only relationship I have with this sort of job is confirming the guard's stay by signing some documents and contracts with him."

Alice did not know why she was bothered about this. Perhaps it was because she was habituated to getting things done punctually from her father's lectures ever since she was a child. It must be genetics at work here. A sharp pain was felt in her chest as she thought about her father for the first time in weeks. She shook off the feeling to continue speaking.

"Then you ought to put a hold on this day out to sign those papers! I think it's much more important than just spending time with me—"

"My dear, spending time with you is far more important to me than signing scraps of papers with him." Mr. Burke spoke with a small smile. Her concern for doing his job correctly was highly amusing.

"That's an offensive falsehood! I'd wager you would prefer to have a wind of cash flying towards you than to forcefully commit your time with someone such as myself."

Alice blinked as she heard no reaction from him. She looked over at him who was now looking back at her. He looked annoyed, as if she had just said something very insulting. She fearfully looked back at the elevator door which had fortunately just opened and she immediately walked into the light emitting from the room that had just opened. Mr. Burke sighed and decided to ignore what she had just said and followed her from behind. If what she had just said was true, he would not have bothered with this outing in the first place. Why did she have to demonize him like this? Mr. Burke stopped walking to look at Alice who had suddenly stopped walking behind him. She was looking at everything around her in complete awe, and Mr. Burke found this scenario very delightful to view. She looked as if she was a peasant, stepping into the royal castle for the first time. Her expression was of amazement, and Mr. Burke was glad he had the chance to see her smile like this. An authentic smile is rare to see on this miserable Alice.

"This way, my dear." Mr. Burke walked forward passed the front desk to a room at the side from where they were currently standing. As he passed the desk, he bid his greetings to Chief Gustav who was now looking at Alice curiously. Alice was following Mr. Burke closely behind as if she was a puppy following her Master obediently. They entered a room that was labeled Café Beau Monde. The room was filled with several tables and chairs. A few of them were occupied by the Tenpenny residents. Alice looked over at the counter to her right to see a fragile elderly woman who was now speaking to Mr. Burke.

"Oh my. How nice to see you again, Mr. Burke. Please, sit down anywhere you'd like! Well, except for that table in the corner. As you know, that's Mr. Tenpenny's table." She spoke happily, though the tone was calm enough for her to sound perfectly professional. Alice noticed that there was something very nostalgic about that woman at the counter. She then remembered Old Lady Palmer. She was just like a grandmother Alice never had back at the vault. She always made the most delicious sweetrolls while Alice was growing up. Alice gave out a small sigh. She never thought she would ever feel homesick after what happened when her dad left. Alice felt another sharp pain in her chest as she thought about her father once again.

"I'm well aware of that, Ms. Primrose, thank you." Mr. Burke spoke gently. Alice was surprised that he would convey any sort of authentic manner that would not benefit him in any way. Perhaps she has been underestimating him all this time. He has been continuously proving her wrong about the characteristics of this man.

The lady gave him a sweet smile as she watched him walk over to an empty table. She then noticed Alice who had just sat down next to Mr. Burke at the table. "Oh, you're new here. I'm Margaret Primrose. I run this café." Alice looked up at her with a returned smile of her own. It's been awhile since she has had to force herself to have a civilized manner, though she managed to get through it. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Alice."

Mr. Burke ordered two crams as their meal and once the food had arrived, Margaret returned to her business behind the counter. Alice wolfed down her meal. It has been awhile since she had last eaten. Mr. Burke's lip twitched into a slight frown as he watched her scarf down her food.

"I did not buy you that dress just so you can bespatter it with sustenance. Anyways, you'll ruin your stomach if you eat that quickly."

Alice ignored him. This dish was too delicious for her to even take a meaningful pause to just converse with this man.

"…Are you refusing to have a simple and friendly chatter with yours truly?" Mr. Burke spoke with displeasure as he was eating more slowly and refined.

Alice took a large gulp of the last bit of her meal that she had already finished in seconds and looked up at him with the food sticking onto her face. "Do you have some strange mania for talking to me? We are only here to eat, and nothing else. You shouldn't at the very least be bothered with the silence."

Mr. Burke played with his food with the fork while lowering his head. "…Actually, it's quite upsetting." He didn't attempt to explain about how wrong she was. Alice was about to question him further when the loud sound of high heels echoed throughout the air. Alice turned around to see a woman that was passing by the door to the cafe and had stopped in her footsteps to stare at both Alice and Mr. Burke. The woman had dark skin, had short hair, and she now looked infuriated. She was wearing something similar to what Mr. Burke had dressed Alice in when she had first awoken in his room. The woman's outfit, however, seemed a bit grimier, and her voluptuous chest filled out the chest area of the outfit much more than Alice. Judging by the way she was staring at them, Alice assumed that this must be the woman Mr. Burke was talking about earlier when they were together on the bed. Alice was surprised that the woman was brave enough to walk around the building dressed like that. Has she no shame? Alice had expected the woman to say something, but the woman simply left. Alice could hear the sound of the woman's heels footsteps disintegrating into the distance.

"Dear, I must insist and stress that you avoid her. You should never be alone in a room with her. I have doubts that she is-mentally satisfied enough to welcome your stay here." Mr. Burke spoke suddenly once he made sure that the woman was unable to listen to their conversation.

"Then perhaps you should just release me like a good little boy?" Alice spoke playfully, trying to imitate Mr. Burke from earlier. Though as she spoke, she spoke with uncertainty. If she were to return to the wasteland, she would be roaming into the land with anxiety and the hopelessness feeling of being lost forever. There was a part of her that did not want to be freed. Mr. Burke was someone who incessantly proving her wrong with his sudden sweet attempts to satisfy her desires such as going out of his way to buy her an attire and feeding her food of high class. A truly evil person would allow her to rot in his room with nothing on her skin and feeding her the dirt he had just stepped on. In addition, this situation regarding this mysterious woman of Mr. Burke's past love life was intriguing.

The frown on Mr. Burke deepened as he heard this. He was obviously not amused. Alice looked down at her empty plate apologetically, wiping her mouth with a napkin as she did so. Mr. Burke was almost done with his meal now, and Alice figured she should put him in a lighter mood so that he would remember his promise for providing her with beer. "So was she the woman you were talking about earlier?"

Mr. Burke looked up at her from his meal. "Yes. However, she does not come close in comparison to you." He was not smiling, but Alice could hear the sincerity in his words which made her blush from the unexpected compliment. Why did he say something like that all of a sudden? No, he couldn't mean it. He is simply a gentleman in disguise that specializes in handling a lady's heart when in actuality, he is a cold-hearted demon who cares for no one but his needs. He is intelligent at twisting his words into making a woman believe what he wants. Alice mustn't fall for those words that are filled with falsification.

"W-Well anyway, I have another question." Alice spoke quickly, trying to change the subject.

"Let's hear it then."

Alice placed her arms on the table and looked at Mr. Burke seriously.

"Why have you rescheduled the termination of Megaton?"

Mr. Burke took the last bite from his meal before wiping his mouth with a napkin. He was avoiding Alice's gaze. "I simply felt that it was the best option to focus on other plans rather than that particular one. I believe you shouldn't be complaining about it since you have a friend or two there, correct?" He looked back up at her. Alice stared at him in bewilderment. The sly bastard was avoiding her question, and this was a complete fabrication. If this plan were to be as minor as he says, he would not have been at the bar in Megaton day after day for her.

"If you're going to play that way, then I have another question for you."

"If you're going to ask more about my plans for Megaton, then I am no longer interested in your musing." Mr. Burke spoke unpleasantly.

Alice hesitated. She was actually going to press further onto the subject, but has decided to drop it. She would surely regret it in the near future if she were to cross him. She could tell, because his piercing glare sent shivers down her spine. Before Alice could say another word, however, there was a guard approaching their table. She immediately recognized that guard as the one they encountered back when they were using the elevator.

"S-Sir! M-Mr. Tennpenny requires your visit immediately." The guard spoke with such jumpiness, Alice wondered if he was lacking jet or psycho.

Mr. Burke wanted to shoot the guard for interrupting his outing with Alice, but since the subject was on Mr. Tenpenny, Mr. Burke had no choice but to obey. He nodded his head in comprehension and stood up. He looked at Alice, who to her surprise, looked somewhat repentant.

"Stay here." He ordered her as he walked away from the room. He wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. Alice sighed lightly and looked over at the guard who was gawking at her. He didn't seem disgusted by her eyes, but his eyes didn't look at her with interest. It looked as if he was analyzing her…like some sort of scientific product. The guard seemed to have noticed that he was behaving strangely again and dashed out of the room after waving goodbye to Alice. Alice sat there in confusion but placed her elbows on the table, leaning her cheeks against the palm of her hands. This was a perfect chance to escape. So why was she not attempting to do so? This lack of faith in herself is annoying. Alice grumbled at her own unstable decisions. She was such a complex person, and this made things much more complicated. Margaret noticed Alice's disgruntled state and approached the irritated girl with concern.

"Is something the matter? I do hope my cooking wasn't too bad, was it?"

This snapped Alice out of it and she looked up at the elderly woman with a forced smile.

"Actually, the meal was the best I've had in a long time. The aroma was exquisite, and it laced perfectly with the equally exquisite flavor drenched in the superb food. It would fetch more in the open market than just this simple cafe. "

Margaret smiled in appreciation. Alice could feel her heartstrings being lightly tugged by this woman. Alice had assumed all who resided in this building were egotistical lunatics who expect all to bow to their superiority. In other words, Alice expected everyone to be clones of Mr. Burke. Margaret, however, proved her wrong.

"Would you happen to have alcohol in your premises?" Alice tried to sound as least desperate as possible.

"Oh, you might want to try the Federalist Lounge. It's right down the hall from here."

Alice peered over at the open door. What was more important, her sudden strong urge to taste the wonderful flavor of beer, or her fear for Mr. Burke's reaction when he discovers that she disobeyed him?

Alice thanked Margaret for the meal and walked out the door.

Meanwhile, Mr. Burke was storming off towards the elevator in a hurried manner. His Alice is waiting for him. It took a few minutes until he arrived in front of Allistair's door. The guard that protected the room opened the door for Mr. Burke after instantly recognizing his superior. Mr. Burke didn't bother thanking the guard for his kind gesture like he always had and went right into the room to open another door that led to the balcony. Allistair had the biggest room out of the entire hotel, but instead of peering into each room to find his boss, Mr. Burke knew his boss's schedule by heart. This old man spends most of his time shooting random poor souls from the safety of his balcony every day.

"You required my presence, Mr. Tenpenny?" Mr. Burke spoke as he stepped towards Allistair who had his back turned on Mr. Burke. Mr. Burke heard the sound of the trigger being pulled, and watched as Allistair turned around to face his right hand man. Yet again, another soul of the many has been lost today.

"Ah, Mr. Burke. You have such impeccable timing as usual. Come now, there are some matters we must discuss about!" He spoke enthusiastically from the success of his shooting and placed his sniping rifle against the railings of the balcony before sitting down on his luxurious chair. He offered Mr. Burke to sit on the empty chair that was adjacent to him, but Mr. Burke kindly declined his offer. His relation to Allistair can be of as a father and son, so he knew that once he took the seat, Allistair would have a mile long conversation with Mr. Burke after the important matters have been discussed. Mr. Burke cannot allow Alice to wait for him that long - at least, not with that other woman roaming around in the building. Allistair, in turn, looked at Mr. Burke strangely but laid his back against the chair.

"Mr. Burke, why have you returned to Tenpenny Tower without reporting anything to me?"

Mr. Burke pursed his lips. He knew it would have to come to this sooner or later. However, he chose the latter.

"I apologize, Mr. Tenpenny. There just haven't been any unfamiliar arrivals at Megaton for weeks, so I have decided to postpone this job for later. However, I'll surely find someone to do the job."

The expression plastered on Allistair's wrinkled face began to scrunch as if he just took a whiff of a rotting corpse of a ghoul. "I trust you'll have it done as soon as possible, then. Aside from that business, I hear you've brought in a visitor to our beloved hotel?"

Mr. Burke hesitated. Before he could say a word, Allistair continued speaking.

"I do hope the suspension of Megaton's destruction does not involve with that visitor of yours."

Mr. Burke looked at Allistair who was now eyeing the scar made by Alice on Mr. Burke's face. Allistair had an inhuman skill of charisma that Mr. Burke learned from. Allistair was now trying to search for the truth from Mr. Burke in which Mr. Burke was not willing to give up so easily.

"I apologized for this terrible lack of due diligence for my part, but yes. She's simply a whore I found in the wasteland. I did not want to trouble you for the confirmation for her stay here since I assumed she's too insignificant for your attention."

Allistair looked at Mr. Burke for a while before laughing lightly. "I find it rather perplexing that you would find her insignificant. If there is a woman that has the ability to carve a scar into your face without your readiness, I find someone like that to be quite significant! Anyone that can give you trouble maintaining your perfection would be very significant, don't you think?"

"She may be of small stature, but appearances can be deceiving." Mr. Burke traced the scar on his face with both his index and middle finger lightly. He did not know why Allistair was talking about his scar and whether or not he was joking about this matter. Whatever the case was, his boss was not falling for Mr. Burke's lie and was still digging for the truth.

"Mr. Burke…" Allistair spoke in grave seriousness. "I ask that you not cook up anymore rejoinders. Although you've given us an entertaining interlude, you must recognize the massive difference between you and that…whore of yours. I do not question your desire to fool around once in awhile, but I do assume that this may be serious from the fact that you brought her to your residence. You must remember everything I've taught you. A man such as your caliber doesn't ever mix with the petrified piece of meat such as that woman. What was her name again?"

Mr. Burke was silent for all this time Allistair was talking. Mr. Burke was consumed in both anger and shame, because not only did Allistair pinpoint everything Mr. Burke was hiding, he also spoke of everything Mr. Burke was trying to block out from his common sense, and it was all coming from the man he respected the most. Mr. Burke could not tell him he was wrong, but he indeed knew for a fact, that Alice was not just a piece of meat. He knew when she had shown interest in him, and not for his wealth. Although it was an unconscious act of interest, it was still enough for Mr. Burke to experience a calm and warm feeling that he hasn't experienced in a long time – if he ever felt this way at all during his lifetime. Mr. Burke needed time to show her that.

"Her name is Alice." Mr. Burke spoke quietly.

"What's her last name?"

"She never told me."

"I fail to see why that would be a problem." Allistair leaned back on his chair and stared at Mr. Burke. "It is your basic nature to already know something as inconsequential as that. Come now, Mr. Burke. Enough of this tom foolery."

Mr. Burke sighed. He was already expecting Allistair to realize that, and he was idiotic enough to even bother trying to hiding another fact.

"It's Alice Hawthorne."

Allistair nodded his head in comprehension. "I see. Well that will be all then."

Mr. Burke had a very foul and bitter feeling in his chest. Although Allistair was someone who seemed graceful and caring, his true nature was of a mean-spirited that can easily become the dictator of the entire wasteland if he were to ever choose such a path. Allistair has Alice's full name now. The possibilities of what he will do were endless when he has information as simple as that. Mr. Burke knew this because he has seen Allistair make one joke of a gruesome murder he had committed upon a fellow soldier of his just for forgetting to supply Allistair with the correct amount of bullets for his sniping rifle for the day. He was just two bullets short of the original amount, and yet he suffered a long and cruel death for it. This incident was not announced to the public from fear of the residences' reaction, but Mr. Burke knew quite well that Allistair was merciless to those who worked for him. Mr. Burke also knew that he was very capable into becoming someone just as blood-thirsty as Allistair if the time came for him to take over Allistair's place. Mr. Burke had only but hope for Alice's sake that Allistair was in a very generous and forgetful mood.

Once Mr. Burke returned into the hallway, he felt the feeling of idiocy overcome him. He didn't know why he even bothered protecting Alice or even worrying about her. He attempted lied to the man he respected the most for the sake of keeping her in the dark. He suddenly felt uneasy about his sudden obsession with this girl. Why does this girl affect him like this? He never expected his desire for her to grow this much. He oughtn't to be so hot and bothered by something this trivial. She should be nothing to him…so why was he so anxious about the thought of losing her? He cursed himself for growing soft like this, all for just one woman. Maybe if he wasn't a cold-blooded killer of thousands, then things would have been different from the moment he first set his eyes on that girl. However, it was too late, and it was entirely his fault for allowing her to stay more than what he had planned. Alice was much too pure for this man who was so tainted with sins. That's why he had to fight off the feelings he was starting to have for her. Those feelings…if only he could throw it all away and feed it to the starving radroaches to let them be resurfaced as fetuses. If only. And yet, he still wished he could have succeeded at keeping his Alice's existence all to himself.

He sighed and walked towards the opened elevator. As he waited for the elevator to come to its stop, he ran his fingers against the scar Alice has given him on his face. He should have covered it with a bandage. This is what he gets for being so rushed to see Allistair without thinking properly. Once again, his imprudence was all rooted from the one named Alice. How pathetic. Mr. Burke walked out of the elevator that has opened after reaching to the floor level to hear a crashing of glass shattering against a hard surface along with a booming laugh.

This isn't going to end well.

Mr. Burke quickly rushed towards the bar that was located in the front of the restaurant. He looked at Alice who was standing on the counter. Next to her was a pile of shattered glass that Alice has been throwing onto the ground after drinking the last gulp from each her drink. She was giggling, and she was red from being obviously drunk. This surprised Mr. Burke. He assumed she was strong enough to hold her favorite liquor. She never once acted like this in Megaton.

"Alright dear. I think you've had enough." Mr. Burke spoke cautiously. He was trying to be patient, and he was not going to be pleased if her drunken self were to present him with another scar on his face with those sharp glass shards she was holding in her hand.

Alice turned around. Her eyes made her look fatigued, but her words spoke otherwise.

"Well, if it isn't Burkey Boo!" She held her drink up in the air at him. "Tell me, Burke. Just how many innocent girls do you have to torment before you're satisfied?"

Mr. Burke glared at Alice. She was disrespecting him greatly. However, that second bit piqued his curiosity. Mr. Burke always believed that drunken words spoke the truth. If that was the case, does that mean that question has been wandering in Alice's mind for some time now? Was she actually concerned about his love life?

"Fine then! Stay hushed! Why don't you do me a favor and just kill me so I don't have to deal with all this!" She swallowed the last drop from the bottle she was holding that seemed to be the fifth bottle or so. She threw it onto the ground along with the others.

"If you carelessly play with the definition of death like that…" Mr. Burke started.

"Be quiet you affront to God! If I could, I'd shoot you right through your skull! The bullet of justice will save all of Mega—"

"Stop being so wastefully exuberant and come with me! I'm at my wits end with you!" Mr. Burke spoke loudly. He was losing his patience. If she was not going to behave, he was going to force her to. Though he hoped he didn't have to, because that would rankle him.

Alice looked at him with a wide grin. "Oh Burkey Boo, I'm not going to give you the satisfaction of a glorious victory. I'm too lax to go into your world of lecherous—"

Mr. Burke went over to Alice and circled his arms around her waist, pulling her body over his shoulder. Alice yelled and pounded her fists onto his back for her release. He held her with one of his arms while using his free arm to pay the bartender more than enough caps for Alice's drinks and damages. He walked towards his room and ignored all the stares they were receiving from Alice's wailings. Once they arrived to Mr. Burke's room, he threw her onto the bed. If she was going to make a fool out of him like this, he was going to have his turn. The impaction of Alice hitting against the bed made Alice snap out of it slightly, though she was still drunk. She realized what she had done, and what was going to happen.

"Burkey—I mean…Mr. Burke! Stop!"

Mr. Burke ignored her and sat beside her and began tugging off the dress. He was prepared to rip it away from her body if necessary, even if he was going to result in an eventual angered tailor that created clothes that never showed a bit of wear. Mr. Burke was at his wits end right now and was about to be merciless. He grunted as he felt Alice's foot kicking his stomach.

"I said stop!" She yelled loudly. Perhaps it's the alcohol that has given her the bravery of fighting back, but she felt strong. Stronger than she has ever felt in her 19 years of existence.

"Well at least you're making this more entertaining than the last. However, you should know that as long as you have that strong will to fight within you, I will happily crush that fighting spirit with ease." Mr. Burke smirked as he tugged off his clothes before approaching her again. Alice was about to hit him again when she saw the look on his face that made her stop. His eyes looked frightening. She didn't move as he sat next to her and caressed her body with the freshness of his heated touch. He could do it for hours just to watch Alice squirm and moan in delight. Her reactions tell the truth of how much he was worth to her when he touched her body in all the right places. The louder she was, the more he was worth to her. That's why he had to make her scream in pleasure. A scream that reached for the heavens in the sky. A scream that showed God that Mr. Burke had the power that equals to all divinity.

Although Alice was reacting just how Mr. Burke wanted, she didn't want to give in so easily. She had goose bumps crawling upon her skin that were screaming in anticipation. Anticipation for the sweet torture her partner was ready to give her. She had to fight off the unnecessary feelings that were filling up her heart because they would only serve to get in her way. She just couldn't allow her heart ache for her partner's affection. She had to defy her own weak willed self to fight back, because up to this day, she had accepted everything too easily. She had numbed herself too quickly. What good were the efforts of her parents giving her this body which she have foolishly wrecked by giving into him? She tried prying his hand off of her.

"Stop acting like you always understand me! I am going to spit on your fallible logic and ruin it all. I won't give in! Do you think I'm that weak of a human being? I've fought raiders! I've won battles against hungry mutants! I—"

He leaned against her, crushing her breasts with his hard chest. He slipped his hand against her cheek and allowed his lips to hover over hers, panting his words with his heated breath. "Dear…this is a war you cannot win."

Mr. Burke watched Alice's lips trembling as she felt the warmth of his whisper upon her face.

'Your words may reject me, but your body doesn't.' He thought in his head, and it was true. Alice's words did not match with her body. Her body reactions contradict what she kept saying. If she was truly disgusted by him, she wouldn't lean onto his touches. Her words were just spouting out things that made Mr. Burke believe that she enjoyed being overpowered. Oh, Alice.

"N…No…I haven't lost the game yet…" Alice muttered quietly. Mr. Burke stared at her.

"If you are silly enough to view this as a game, then let me tell you this. You are a lone pawn on a field that is of a chess board. You're surrounded by hungry eyed soldiers ready to attack you, and they wait patiently…watching your every move…preparing to strike. So struggle all you like as you will soon taste the bitter sweetness of your defeat." His eyes lowered to her chest that was moving up and down quickly in both fear and expectation. He wanted to just make the clothing that covered her mouthwatering body to disappear. Alice was lagging things with her stubborn refusal. He was tired of this and wanted to break her. He will make her reveal her true desires for him.

"Besides…" Mr. Burke spoke teasingly. "If you really don't miss the smell of my hair, the heat of my breath and the taste of my saliva…why would you be leaning onto my touches if you were to truly loathe me like so? How contradictory of you, dear."

"Please…" Alice spoke quietly, making Mr. Burke look back up at her, trying to hide a slight excitement that was building up in his chest. Has she already given up?

"Please what?"

"Please stop spouting out so much foolish nonsense!" Alice yelled right at his face. Mr. Burke glared down at her. This girl certainly knew how to fire up this bull's temper.

"…Why do you detest me as much as you do, my dearest Alice?" Mr. Burke growled lowly. Alice felt her heart skip a beat as she heard her name being uttered by him. This was merely the second time he ever spoke of her name - which means he must be deadly serious. But before she could do anything, she heard the sound of clothes ripping in the air and a sudden cool breeze upon her chest. She quickly tried to cover her bare chest, when she felt her wrists being wrapped by Mr. Burke's forceful fingers to paralyze her from fear.

"I've been patient with you when you spew vile words towards me that can possibly ruin my day." He spoke lowly as he ripped off the part of her dress that covered her stomach. Alice whimpered in fear.

"I've been tolerant when you refuse to obey me even when I've given you an order which makes me bulk up my anger." Another sound of clothes being ripped echoed into the air as the last piece of clothing was removed. Alice was completely naked now. Mr. Burke sat up on her stomach to remove his clothes whilst Alice's body was clamped in between Mr. Burke's legs so that she wouldn't be able to run off. "I'm done playing with you, Alice. It's time to end this foolishness and bring forth the sweet conclusion by clearing things up. Profess your love for me."

Alice looked up at Mr. Burke. Her face was completely red in embarrassment. How can he even be serious? How can he have so much confidence within himself to believe that his captured lamb would develop feelings for this hungry beast of a man? The thought was disgusting. He was disgusting.

And yet…

Alice could not say any of the words she was thinking in her head. Her heart wouldn't stop beating so quickly. As much as she wanted to yell vile words at him, she simply couldn't. Where was the disgust she longed to feel when she looked at this man? Why can't she feel the same words that are created in her mind? Where was the burning hatred in her chest when he humiliates her like this? None of those feelings where there. All she could feel and think about were Mr. Burke holding her in his arms, Mr. Burke speaking softly into her ear, Mr. Burke making her silently beg for him. This was very hard to swallow, but everything just pointed to this horrible truth.

Alice had fallen for this horrible man.

She couldn't vocalize this, though. She just couldn't. He couldn't possibly feel the same way towards her. He had an unfair advantage for being so good at peering into people's heart so easily. He solved the labyrinth to the core of her heart within a glance. Alice, however, felt as if she could never reach over to his heart no matter how hard she tried. He was always so distant and cold. She couldn't admit any of this. She rather perished in this bed than to reveal her true nature.

"Do you really think you've captured my heart by treating me like this! Why would you even think I would ever be in love with a narcissistic fiend like you?" Her body wasn't trying to push him off anymore, despite her headstrong tone of voice.

Mr. Burke had just finished stripping off the last of his clothing and was looking down at the reddened-faced Alice with a grin. She was breaking, and he can hardly wait to take advantage of her the instant she accepts her defeat. "Because I am a man, and I have so much wisdom. It's not because I have an ego as you say, it's because I'm simply a great man. I don't think there's anyone quite like me. You should love me because I know that I am more than worthy to become yours, and only yours. Yet, you forget all this and continue on with your stubborn ways. Dear beloved Alice….don't speak of the wrong answer and have me merely treat you as my favorite toy. I am not one to tell you that you are mine. I own you. I play with you. Thus, you are my toy and favorite toy. We wouldn't want to have that, now will we? I think we have been together long enough that I can confidently say that you are more than just a toy for me. So give in…just give in already, Alice." The grin on his face disappeared. He meant it. He didn't see her as a simple toy he could play with whenever he wanted. He couldn't deny it anymore. However, that was something he couldn't say out loud. He needed to keep his heart in the dark. That is why he needed Alice to say it. He needed Alice to say what he felt for her.

Alice remained silent.

Mr. Burke leaned forward, cupping her breasts into his hands as he kissed her neck gently. He felt Alice quivering in delight. He began kissing lower and lower down her body until he stopped and looked at the area betwixt her legs. He didn't get the chance to look at it this closely last time since he spent all his concentration on holding her down and attempting to solace this wild mane. This time, Alice seemed to have calmed down quickly. In the corner of his eye, he could see Alice's cheeks warming from embarrassment. He flashed a warning glare at her as he noticed her legs trying to close. She took one look into his eyes before feeling her body tense up in terror. Mr. Burke leaned his lips closely to the pink slit before whispering with his heated breath, "Let us begin."

He began fondling her breast quite roughly, squeezing the nipple which was located in between his middle and index finger. At the same time, he began licking the slit in front of him, allowing his tongue to dance across the soft wet field of her sensitive flesh. Alice's groans continued to fall from her lips. Mr. Burke smirked as his tongue licked deeper and rougher against her. Alice never experienced such pleasurable experiences like this, and he was glad to know that he was her first. He felt her hips rising towards him as he continued tasting her delicious juices. She must not be aware that she was giving off obvious signs like this that she was enjoying every moment of it all. Mr. Burke stopped to Alice's dismay and reached over to grab her arm, pulling her up so that she was facing him. Alice was looking at the bed sheets, noticing that it was wet because of her. Mr. Burke reached over to place her hair behind her ear.

"It's time you learn your place and to return the favor."

Alice looked up at him curiously before feeling her eyes widen slightly as she watched Mr. Burke hold his hardened member up at her.

"I want you to taste this." He ordered. Alice shook her head and looked away. She expected Mr. Burke to utter something that would scare her to do it. Instead, she felt him grabbing her hand and placing it on his shaft. Alice slowly turned to see that she had already grabbed it from reflex. She looked up at Mr. Burke, who was licking his lips in satisfaction already. Her soft skin felt wonderful on his hardened member. Alice leaned over hesitantly, not exactly sure how to pleasure him at all. She didn't want to make him mad since she lacked skills to do this, but she knew he would be even more furious if she didn't bother doing it at all. Alice began licking the entire thing vertically, trying to pinpoint the spot that pleasured him. Mr. Burke did not even give off a sigh. He was silent. Alice was worried. He had so many relationships with women, so how can he expect her to pleasure him at all? She was only recently deflowered and she did not do a thing during that time. Alice gave off a soft moan she felt herself being fingered by him. He must have gotten bored from waiting.

"You seem tense, so I assumed this would help you satisfy your hunger for my touch." Mr. Burke spoke playfully. "You should try placing it in your mouth."

It was already difficult to please this man. Now she had to do it while her body is weakened from being pleasured by him. She panted a bit as she took his advice and tried to slide his shaft into her mouth. She was unable to fit the whole thing in her mouth, and it seemed odd that his member was still showing in her viewpoint, so she covered the remaining rest with her hands. Alice could not breath well like this, and almost felt it stop completely as she felt his fingers inside her moving faster.

"Ah, good girl. Now suck on it."

Alice did not need to look up to see the wide grin plastered on his face. Alice tried to move her lips and tongue against his shaft, sucking as much as she could. This is how Mr. Burke's flesh tasted like. She could feel it pulse lovingly in her mouth as she drenched it all with her saliva. She accidently moved her hand at the same time, causing Mr. Burke to grunt lightly. Alice realized he must have enjoyed that tiny motion. Alice began rubbing and sucking him gently. She felt his hips moving against her mouth and almost choked from feeling the tip hitting the back of her throat softly. She tried to move her head away from him, but felt his hand on her head, pushing her to suck deeper. She noticed he was no longer fingering her.

"Just a bit more, then you…may swallow the rest."

Alice was confused from what he meant until she felt it. A huge load of cum flooded her mouth. It was just filled with a mixture of saliva and his cum. She admitted that the taste of Mr. Burke was glorious and it remained on the tip of her tongue while she coughed out the unexpected load of liquid out of her mouth. Although she did enjoy his taste, she simply could not devour all of his juices in one swallow. She looked at the bed that was covered in Mr. Burke's juices.

"Well done, Alice. Masterfully played." Mr. Burke spoke lowly while wiping the sweat from his forehead. "You enjoyed that just as much as I did, didn't you."

Alice felt as if she was mute, and it wasn't only because she felt too weak to speak since she has yet to catch her breath from the activity just now. Her vocalization was paralyzed the moment she wanted to blurt out something cruel to him. She didn't feel fear, but rather she simply did not feel that way. How horrible that she actually – enjoyed it. She just couldn't bring herself to insult him.

"Dear."

She looked up at him. He was waiting. She knew what he wanted to hear, but she just couldn't do it. She was trapped in between her pride and what she really felt. She felt Mr. Burke's finger caressing her chin, and that made her heart pound quickly against her chest. He was acting so gentle to her and she just wanted more. She knew he would continue if she would just say it.

"I…" Alice started to say, but stopped immediately. She felt as if she was going to have a panic attack from how fast her heart was pounding. She wasn't used to feeling like this, and she definitely did not want to feel like this with someone like him. She always dreamed that love would be a beautiful and precious experience to her that would make the rest of the world bleak in comparison. She dared herself to allow the feeling of this strong acceptance closer to her heart while inside, she was still clinging onto the distrust and rage she stubbornly felt for him. But just this once…she will swallow her conflicting feelings.

"I love you."

Her words lacked a meaningful tone, but it was enough for Mr. Burke to smile. They both knew this was a premature feeling and she may not even mean it wholeheartedly, but all he wanted was to hear those words from her. He leaned over to give her a deep kiss before laying her back down on the bed. He pulled his lips away slightly to tell her:

"The game is over."

Alice's eyes narrowed, but felt them widening again as he was already inserting himself into her. Alice was wet enough to accept his size, and her breathless whimpers were music to Mr. Burke's ears. He frowned a bit as he noticed Alice avoiding eye contact with him. It was understandable how coy she may be feeling right now from admitting something embarrassing, but he needed to look into her eyes. Right now. He grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him, but she pulled away again.

"Don't you dare allow your eyes to wander right now." Mr. Burke warned, but Alice refused. How could she look into his eyes after such a difficult confession?

"I-I'm sorry but—" Alice began, but was quickly interrupted.

"If you're sorry then show me those eyes. Not the eyes of disgust as if you have just seen a pile of vomit. Those eyes that longed only for me."

Alice could not believe he wanted to look into her eyes that badly. This was the first time anyone has begged for her to look at them instead of the other way around. Alice slowly turned her head to look at him. She shivered slightly as they looked at each other while he was thrusting himself against her. Alice's breaths quickly became loud moans. Mr. Burke lifted her legs over his shoulders as he pounded quicker and harder, seeing how her eyes desperately peered into his. He could easily see how much she wanted it…how much she wanted him. Alice began screaming in enjoyment as she was close to climax, as was Mr. Burke. Alice's screams reached the skies as they both felt each other's cum flooding and combining with each other. They were both panting in exhaustion and Mr. Burke held her as he kissed her ear gently.

"Mr. Burke…do you love me?" Alice spoke quietly. Mr. Burke did not expect such a question. He remained silent. He could not tell her what she wanted to hear. It wasn't because he didn't feel that way, but it was because of his reputation that would endanger her if anyone were to know how he really felt. She must be trying to break apart the love and is trying to search for a flaw within it. He knew Alice was so insecure about everything like this.

Alice looked at the bed sheets and spoke solemnly. "Am I just another pawn in your game? I don't have the skills and mentality of the thousands of other girls you've been with."

Mr. Burke could not keep quiet about this. It seems as if this was a millionth time he had to tell her that she was more significant than that.

"I don't need a thousand girls. I just need you."

Alice looked up at him. He was not telling her that he loved her, but he was telling her that she is the only girl for him. She was still afraid and was still doubting him, but she was thankful for him to be the first ever to accept her as she is. She smiled at him, making Mr. Burke's heart race lightly. The sweet combination of her eyes looking at him whilst a smile was formed upon her delicate face was the perfect scene. They both watched each other as they enjoyed the sensation of having each of their needs satisfied that night.

This was it. The game was over, and Alice was not the winner. Yet, they were both happy.

Little did Alice know, there was someone out there waiting to take that happiness away .


	4. Destabilization

The sun was shining brilliantly upon the Capital Wasteland as usual. Mr. Burke was walking back to Tenpenny Tower from being away for two days. He received an assignment from Mr. Tenpenny that required the business and traveling to extend for more than one night's stay. It was the very first time he was forced to be away from Alice like this. However, ever since the night when her sweet words of her love rang true to his ears, he was confident that this trip had no ability to change anything of their relationship.

It's true that they don't have a flawless relationship. In fact it was barely a decent relationship. It consisted of too much instability from both sides. Mr. Burke knew this too well, but it did not mean that he could not do his best to give her the perfect love she deserved. Unfortunately, he never evoked it. It was highly impossible for someone like him to vocalize something like that. He still hated himself for having these ridiculous feelings that he never thought would ever exist in his cold-hearted body. Despite this, however, he still allowed himself to fall for her. This permissiveness gave him the ability to unknowingly show these unwanted affections for her. He would buy her new dresses that he would eventually strip away from her every night. He would add new elements to his techniques in bed. He would continue confessing his adoration for her and her eyes every day. Alice always pretended to show no interest in everything he did for her. Nevertheless, this did not change anything because Alice was a terrible liar and a terrible actress, as much as she would like to believe otherwise. She's a naïve little girl that silently screamed her love for Mr. Burke every time he committed an act of kindness and love towards her. She always had her guard down for him, and he took advantage of it every time he noticed it.

They both did not trust each other, and Alice probably didn't even trust herself during that night's confession. It was highly possible that she only gave into that moment of temporary lust and had mistaken it for love. Yes, Mr. Burke knew.

Today, he was going to surprise Alice with his presence, and they would have another outing together like Alice would usually request for. Mr. Burke was also planning to give her another gift that would surely make Alice portray the smile Mr. Burke has been longing for: A visit to Megaton.

Mr. Burke couldn't help but to allow a small smile to spread upon his face as he thought about Alice's reaction to this. As he approached the entrance of the hotel, he noticed a ruckus that was occurring at the front gate. At first, he expected it was that pest ghoul quarreling once again with Captain Gustav, but this time it was a young human boy. The boy was probably some wastelander hoping for a night's stay at a place where he couldn't afford even if he were to spend his lifetime scouting for caps in the dumpsters. Mr. Burke could not afford to waste any time with this ridiculousness and was about to walk right past it all until he walked close enough to hear the boy speak out a name that caused Mr. Burke's heart to stop for a moment: The boy was requesting to see Alice.

Why was there was someone asking for his Alice? This was simply not possible. There is no one that knows of her actuality in the outside world except for that blasted ghoul trapped in the bar back in Megaton. Even so, he wouldn't have enough caps in his lifetime to buy a mercenary to track Mr. Burke down. So who in the world is this person? Mr. Burke rushed towards the scene, causing both the boy and the guard to tear their attention away from each other to look at Mr. Burke.

"Oh, Mr. Burke, you've returned! This hooligan won't leave! He keeps demanding to see….someone named Alice." The guard reported. Mr. Burke nodded. He told all of the guards in the building to keep Alice's existence in secret to the beings of the outside world. He did not need any additional potential risk.

Once the guard opened the gate for Mr. Burke to step in, he closed it right away before the boy could charge into the premises and cause a huger commotion. Afterwards, the guard left so that Mr. Burke can talk alone with the boy. As Mr. Burke studied the boy, he noticed that the boy did not seem to be much older than Alice. The tanned boy was wearing a leather jacket with a snake on the back of it and had a peculiar hair style that Mr. Burke himself has never seen in all his life.

"Well then, let's get this over with. Who in blazes are you?" Mr. Burke spoke coldly.

Once the boy realized that Mr. Burke seemed to be of higher power than the guard, he realized that he had to persuade him to get in. The boy folded his arms across his chest and spoke with an Italian accent.

"That old, cracked guy that called himself Captain Gustav caught me trying to climb over this wall and forced me to talk to that dumb guard, damn it. Well anyways, you must be the boss here so hey, man! Ahh…I hear Alice has been here. Have you seen her? She has these really creepy red eyes…about this height." The boy brought his fingers up to a bit below his eyes, indicating that that was her height. "I hear she came here with some old geezer. Is it you?"

Mr. Burke glared at the boy, though his eyes were shielded from his glasses. Who in the world is this brat, and why would he be searching for Alice? Mr. Burke's eyes glided down to the boy's chest. Although it wasn't clearly visible, he could still see the familiar color of a blue and yellow fabric that the boy was wearing underneath his jacket. That clothing was similar to what Alice was wearing when Mr. Burke first saw her in Megaton. It seems that this boy knew Alice personally. Though from the way he talked about her, he couldn't possibly be her lover? In fact, how can Alice even be associated with anyone of this low of caliber in the first place? Well, if this boy was anyone of importance, Alice would have mentioned him.

"What is your name?" Mr. Burke grumbled in annoyance. The boy was rambling so much that he probably forgot about Mr. Burke's prior question.

The boy gave off a mischievous grin and placed his hands on his own waist. "The name's Butch DeLoria! I came straight out of the vault to look for her! Not to mention…I'm the leader of the Tunnel Snakes!" He spoke proudly as if he's just completed a lifetime goal and was bragging about it to a commoner. Mr. Burke did not even want to know what a Tunnel Snake was. He had a feeling it was something so trifling that it will irritate himself further if he knew what it was.

"I see. And what business might you have with this…Alice?"

The grin on Butch's face disappeared and he shuffled his feet together while lowering his head a bit. "Well, ah. I just wanted to thank her for something is all."

Mr. Burke narrowed his eyes at him. Why would someone travel in such a large distance just to thank one person? This person didn't seem to be someone that kind-hearted anyways. He couldn't quite tell if the boy was telling the truth or not, but it was possible that he might have feelings for her, and it sickened Mr. Burke. Although Mr. Burke recognized the fact that even he himself may not be worthy of Alice, at least he was far more valuable than this punk. Mr. Burke may not be visually appealing like he used to be, but his sophisticated wealth surely makes up for it. This boy had merely taken his first step into the dangerous wasteland and he thinks of it as an accomplishment. How utterly pathetic.

"I'm afraid she just left. You may want to search far from here since there isn't any chance that she will be returning anytime soon." Mr. Burke lied indifferently. He watched as the boy slumped over a bit in disappointment but nodded his head in comprehension before turning away to leave. Mr. Burke wasn't going to have a peasant like that take his Alice away. In fact, the thought of any other man besides himself that desired touching and wanting Alice disgusted him. Mr. Burke lowered his head. Mr. Burke turned away from the gate and walked back into the building. Although Mr. Burke had no proof that those two kids had feelings for each other, he had a bad feeling his plans would be painfully ruined if those two were to ever meet. Mr. Burke noticed two guards chatting near him and motioned them to come forth to him. He then spoke efficiently.

"I want both of you to keep an eye on that boy, Mr. Butch DeLoria."

The two guards looked over at the boy that was slowly walking away from their positions. One of them looked back at Mr. Burke. "But sir, I don't recognize him. Is he a threat to our establishment? I don't think he's much of a risk to be honest…"

"I don't want to hear it, men! After I state my orders, I expect you two to execute them quietly like the good little boys you two are." Mr. Burke snapped. His meeting with Butch has put him in such a foul mood when he was in a rarely pleasant mood beforehand. The men unenthusiastically agreed and left to follow Butch in secrecy. Mr. Burke sighed and walked into the building where his beloved Alice awaited for his return.

During all that time, Alice had just awakened from her sleep. It felt as if it's been forever since she and Mr. Burke have slept together on the same bed. She had her uncomfortable feelings of isolation for the past couple of nights. However, she knew she would be alright even without Mr. Burke by her side for these last couple of days because she survived another night by herself. As formidable as it was, she braved the loneliness by herself, and that was enough to prove to herself that she will be alright. She also knew Mr. Burke will return to her soon. He wouldn't leave her alone here. She also crossed out the possibility of him dying in the wasteland because that was simply not possible for someone like him. Mr. Burke would never have a hard time maintaining his form of perfection. When Mr. Burke was with Alice, he did not attempt to have a princely figure that every girl would dream of. He was more of a king. A figure that was the closest thing to being a God, rather than a mere prodigy of a human being, and it was impossible to dominate this man who rightfully deserved this position. He was to remain untamed by anyone and anything and have a whole lot of rage and power for everyone and everything he found insignificant and bothersome. He was the more superior brand of humanity and that was why Alice knew that he will not die in the wasteland. Before he left, he told her something: "When we reconvene, I promise I will treat you to some beer, my dear." This promise was very minor, but nevertheless, it was a promise and Alice took it seriously. Therefore, death was not an option, and he will return. It was unbelievable Alice would put so much faith in one man who she used to despise. Now, she longed for his return.

Alice walked to the water closet. She was used to bathing first thing in the morning. In fact, she was practically use to living here. She smiled happily as she felt herself sitting into the warm water that filled the tub. She can never grow tired of bathing in such clean water that relaxed her instantly. However, her tranquil feelings were short lived.

She heard footsteps arriving at her direction. Mr. Burke was already back? Alice was about to just stay in the bathroom to greet him nonchalantly. No matter how hard she hid her feelings, he would see right through her anyways. That was the problem with this relationship. His mind and heart were both always hiding in the shadows. Alice could never see or touch it to know how he felt. Mr. Burke, on the other hand, could take hold of both of hers with ease. This was unfair, but Alice accepted it nonetheless.

However, the figure that had stepped in was that of a woman who looked infuriated. Alice immediately recognized the woman as Mr. Burke's past lover whom he claim to have no relations with anymore. If that was the case, then why would she have the keys to his room? Alice didn't know what was going on, but what she did know was that this situation was going to end very badly.

"Well, well, well. It seems that Mr. Burke has found a new toy to play with." The woman spoke in a sarcastic tone of voice. Her expression remained enraged. "What I don't understand, is why he hasn't grown bored of this toy and has kept it for such a long time."

Alice was at loss for words. She couldn't exactly tell the woman that she was in a relationship with Mr. Burke, because she did not know if they were even officially lovers if he can't even show affection to her in public. He never exactly proclaimed his love for her either. Well, this woman didn't need an explanation anyway. She seemed too harmless for Alice to worry over something like this. Alice sighed and got out of the water, grabbing the towel that was nearby.

"Wow. What a scrawny body. You shouldn't worry too much about dieting. You're ugly enough as it is. Honestly, you're just as filthy as the ghouls out there. There's no reason for you to go and waste Mr. Burke's good water for your disgusting skin." The woman was looking at her own nails as she spoke those brutal words nonchalantly. This did not thrill Alice one bit. This…bitch was Mr. Burke's previous lover? She knew he was a coldhearted horndog, but even he could do better than this. Well, Alice has sat by quietly and listened to this lady's insulting ramblings long enough.

"Oh, I apologize for my unfit body. Perhaps I should gain an extra hundred pounds so I would look as beastly as you do. The look of a revolting whore is what's trendy these days, is it not?" Alice did not need any practice into sounding just like that woman in front of her who was now glaring at her fiercely.

"You can say that all you want, but all the men in this building says otherwise. In fact, you may even take a peek into my room at all the caps they have given me as proof. They crave for the beauty they see in me and my body."

Alice almost wanted to laugh. Her words did no damage on this actual whore. In fact, it would have probably been a compliment that recognizes her stature, wouldn't it. Alice couldn't comprehend why this woman would be so proud of her demeaning position in such a beautiful construction of a hotel, but she wasn't about to be bothered by that thought. Alice wrapped the towel around her body before attempting to walk away. There was no point in this conversation. This woman was just a typical whore that was jealous of Alice. She wasn't about to waste her time on someone like this. Alice can already drum up the words of complaints to Mr. Burke when he returns. Just as she was about to walk back to Mr. Burke's room, the woman grabbed Alice's drenched hair and pulled it back towards her forcefully. Alice grunted and elbowed the woman's stomach out of reflex, leaving the woman to back off immediately to hold her stomach in pain.

"You…How dare you! You ill-bred wastelander!" She glared up at Alice.

"If you spend more time in the wasteland instead of rotting in here, perhaps you'll learn a move or two such as that." Alice glared back at the woman before her. Why would Mr. Burke even bother wasting his time with a woman like that? He must have been desperate. Alice watched as the woman stood up and walked towards Alice slowly. This time, she was carrying a knife that she had just taken out from her pocket. Alice began to back away until she felt the tub behind her. She cursed Mr. Burke silently for leaving her in danger to this psychotic lady. If she had her own weapon, she could easily take down this bitch. Oh, how she should have practiced fighting off raiders back in the wasteland whilst unarmed.

"Do you really think you can make Mr. Burke happy? You're nothing, sweetheart. He wants me, and only me. He wants a woman that can make him happy, and that's not you. You don't even have a reputation. He wouldn't waddle too long in misery once I deal with you. I can still remember the day when I offered him of my services. He accepted immediately and since then I've never been so happy in my life to be able to fool around with a man of his competence. I heard all the sweet sounds both of you were making, and it made me sick. He was all over me until you came along. So maybe I'm not as young as you…But this doesn't mean that I can snatch him away from you just as quickly as you did to me. " The woman stopped walking and was swinging the knife around playfully. She was taking her sweet time, watching Alice shivering in fear. Alice didn't know which was more humiliating: succumbing to Mr. Burke's sexual advances, or being killed by an envious prostitute.

Alice stared angrily at the woman. Mr. Burke had already said that they were no longer in a relationship with each other, and Alice could definitely see why. Now she was about to die because of this woman's resentment. She would much rather drown in the bathtub as she almost did the first time she bathed in it. Alice, however, was more annoyed from what the woman was saying. If she were about to die like this, she might as well do it well with her last words.

"Even if you're successful from stealing him away from me, you should know that he chose me on his own despite my lack of a reputation. Unlike you, I did not have to show off my body or whisper sweet promises in his ear to captivate him. A whore like you, however, has to depend on those factors to even have him to simply glance at you. Someone like you does not deserve to even lick the bottom of Mr. Burke's foot. I pity of what you must feel right now. A nobody such as myself can entrance him far more than you ever can."

This drove the lady to the end. She was now cursing and was running towards Alice with the knife held up high in the air. Alice quickly closed her eyes to look away. She didn't want to see how painful her death was going to be. However, she never felt the excruciating feeling of the woman's wrath, so she decided to look back up to see what has happened. In front of Alice was the woman with her arm still raised high. She was still holding the knife, but behind her was a very angry looking Mr. Burke with his fingers gripping onto the woman's arm, causing the knife to slip out of her fingers. Alice never dreamed of the day she would be this happy to see this man.

"Ms. Lancaster. What do you think you're doing in my room? I thought I had asked you to return the keys I had given you ages ago and I had also asked for you to stop visiting me." The woman pulled away from him and turned her back on Alice, rubbing onto the redden location of her arm that Mr. Burke was grasping onto.

"And I thought I told you to call me by my first name. It's Susan, don't you remember me? Please don't tell me you've forgotten about all we have done together. I was just…"

"Yes, I remember you." Mr. Burke grumbled in displeasure and rubbed his temple. It was obvious he was currently trying his best to be a gentleman, but was having a difficult time when his efforts are to be patient with this impossible woman. "I also recall telling you that I don't require of your services anymore."

"You can't possibly mean that! I can give you a high discount! No, wait I can give it all to you for free! I can give you much more than this filthy whore that you just picked up in the wasteland! I'm not as mucky and…"

The sound of a slap echoed in the air. Mr. Burke had lost all his endurance and had striked Susan on the side of her face. Alice noticed Susan having difficulty holding back her tears. Although Alice obviously despised this woman, she felt a hint of sympathy for her. That woman was in love with Mr. Burke, and had just received a blow from him. Alice could only imagine how much pain Susan was trying to keep into herself. That pain was the reason why Alice tried her best to avoid the sensations of love. This proved that love can be such a wasteful feeling.

"I normally do not strike women, but I will not have you talk about Alice like that. You fail to understand anything, Ms. Lancaster. You and your words are filthier than anything I've ever seen in the wasteland." Mr. Burke spoke coldly.

"Mr. Bur—"Susan tried speaking in protest.

"I must ask you to leave, Ms. Lancaster. I'm afraid I don't deal well with people who are unfit in this established hierarchy."

Susan stared at Mr. Burke in total disbelief but frowned deeply and started storming out the door. She was still holding onto the red mark on her cheek that Mr. Burke helped formed from the slap.

"Fine! See if I care if you gain radiation from her nasty body. She's only your play thing for today, right? Just you wait. Even a thousand girls won't satisfy you! Screw you all!"

The door slammed in front of Alice and Mr. Burke. Silence was in the air. Alice could feel her heart beating quickly against her chest. This was only the second time he's ever called Alice by her name, and this time it was to defend her instead of terrifying her. Alice couldn't stand this whole situation and was about to leave the room when Mr. Burke grabbed her arm, and pulled her back to him. She found herself in the embrace of his arms. She couldn't help but to blush from his sudden action and looked up at him confusedly. Before she could even utter out a word, he released her and looked at the door that Susan just marched out of.

"Wait here. It's time to end this." He spoke efficiently and went after Susan. Alice stood there dumbfounded, but decided to let Mr. Burke take care of the problem.

Mr. Burke walked swiftly towards the angry woman that was at the hallway and grabbed her wrist, forcing her to stop walking.

"Oh, what's this? Have you finally come to your senses and decided that I am the right woman for you?" Susan spoke immediately. It was difficult to tell whether or not her words were filled with sarcasm.

"You will refrain from harming Alice in any way, Ms. Lanchester! Gauge your distance from her." Mr. Burke ordered loudly. He was obviously still angered by what just happened, and Susan was too prideful apologize or even become serious about all of this. However, once Mr. Burke saw a peculiar mischievous smile expression upon Susan's face, he realized this wasn't the right way to end things. Mr. Burke was a ladies man, and this wasn't the proper way to get something out of a lady. Especially when the lady happens to be a psychotic past lover of his.

"…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap."

"An apology? What a rarity. That's very noble of you to damage your perfect pride just so I wouldn't be upset and go off to hurt that girl. It sure would be nice if you were this devoted to me, darling." That smarmy smile she had forced upon her face was now gone.

"Am I not enough?" She spoke lowly. Her voice was shaking slightly. This may be the very first time she was being deadly serious in Mr. Burke's eyes. As cold-hearted as Mr. Burke was, he couldn't help but to feel pity towards this woman who gave her heart to this man who, in return, confidently ignored it. Mr. Burke was stuck trying to find the correct words to answer her question, but he simply couldn't.

"Mr. Burke! Just tell me what I have to do! Should I go and blood spray my eyes red? Should I lose tons of pounds so I can be as skinny as her? Should I—"

"There's no need for outcries bursting from your foolish condition." Mr. Burke spoke sharply. He meant it. She didn't know what she was saying because she was too emotional to think correctly. She had always been a bit unstable, but she may just be crossing the line with her obsession with him.

"You cannot and will not masquerade as Alice." Mr. Burke stopped talking as he noticed the tears rolling in Susan's eyes. She shouldn't receive any mercy, but yet he just pitied her so much. This wasn't in his nature. It was unbelievable that he would feel bad for her when she attempted to commit a murderous revenge upon his beloved Alice. He felt as if he had lit Susan's heart in a sea of lusting flames and she twisted it around to make it into that cute feeling that was called love. He knew she was incapable of letting this situation go by his harsh rejection. She would take every chance she could get to kill Alice and he wouldn't be able to stop her every time. There were trips he would have to take that Mr. Tenpenny would assign for him. The trips could range from a few days to a few months. He couldn't depend on the anti-ghoul obsessed guards to protect Alice even if he had demanded it with the cost of their jobs if they failed that sole job. He couldn't have that happen. It was time to wrap things up.

"Fine." Susan finally spoke. Mr. Burke stirred out of his thoughts and watched as the woman looked up at him. Her tears had stopped falling. "I will never jeopardize Alice's well being. In return, I want one favor from you."

"You are not in a position to negotiate with me—" Mr. Burke started but stopped as he noticed her pursing her lips and her eyebrows fusing in anger. Mr. Burke realized that this may be the only solution the problem and allowed her to continue.

"Don't be so negative, Mr. Burke. It is a generous compensation just for you. I will no longer bother Alice if…" She looked at him directly into his eyes. "Tell me you love me."

Mr. Burke hesitated. That was a non-physical and simple task. Yet, that was just absolutely impossible for him to do even if he didn't mean it at all. He's grown soft, and he hated it. He wanted to save those three beautiful words for a woman he found equally beautiful… and Ms. Lanchester was certainly not one of them.

"Those words are not for your ears."

Ms. Lanchester frowned. She thought she was requesting something very modest and easy. She could have requested one last passionate moment in her bedroom. He can't even do something like this!

"Now, now. There's no reason to pout. Surely that isn't the only thing you can possibly think of?"

Susan looked up at Mr. Burke with such sad and desperate eyes that caused Mr. Burke to look away for a bit, but as he did so, he felt her hand pressed against his cheek. He looked back at her, and was about to yell at her for touching him when she did something he didn't expect.

Alice sighed as she waited for Mr. Burke to return after dressing herself into one of the outfits Mr. Burke bought for her. She thought of all the possible punishments Mr. Burke would ensue upon that whore. Hopefully she will be removed from the premises, if not killed. Alice placed her hand upon her chest. Her heart was previously beating so quickly. At first it was from fear of being killed by Susan, but when Mr. Burke walked in all of a sudden to save her—her heart was throbbing for him. Alice never knew she would be so happy to see him. She looked up at the door that was ajar. She couldn't wait for him any longer. She had to go see him right now even if he was in the middle of breaking Susan's ribcages. Alice walked out of the room in search of Mr. Burke.

Mr. Burke had tasted the dryness of Susan's lips. The sly woman had noticed his vulnerability and had kissed him the moment he didn't expect it. Mr. Burke was about to pulled away instantly in shock, but Susan had wrapped her arms around his head, not allowing him to escape and had deepened her kiss. He cursed himself for not being able to assume she would do something like this. He placed his arms on her waist and pushed her away from him. He was about to shout at her in fury when he heard something behind them. He turned his head to see the horrors of Alice standing there right when he had kissed the woman that had just tried to kill her. Alice's eyes were widened, and her hands were shaking, although she did not say a word.

"Ali—" He started to say.

But she merely turned around and ran back into his room. Mr. Burke took several steps forward in attempt to go after her, but he stopped. What could he possibly say that can undo what he had just done? Everything that rushed through his head all seemed like petty excuses and facades. How can he release her from her shackles of sorrow that he has unintentionally locked tightly upon her? There was so much emotions that were felt inside his chest that he has never felt before. He felt pain, fear, and self-hatred. How could he allow himself to be so weak? He could throw a million apologies towards Alice and none of them would even make a dent in repairing her broken heart. He worked so hard for her to believe in him and it seemed as if he had shattered it all into a million pieces.

He spun around to face Susan who was already gone. Was this part of her plan? Mr. Burke felt as if he had just lost all of his perfection he has flawlessly maintained for all these years. He did not know what he could do. He looked towards the door to his room. Alice wouldn't leave, and it would be best if she were to be left alone for now until he could think of something he could do. He walked into the elevator. Once the elevator released him, he walked outside of the building to get some fresh air. However, instead of feeling more relaxed and calm, he heard the sound of a familiar annoying voice that was bickering with two guards.

"Do I need to be some fancy looking smuck like you to go in? You've got a lot of nerve saying no to Butch DeLoria! Well I won't leave till you say yes! Whaddya think about that, huh?"

Mr. Burkes sighed as he walked towards the commotion. What in God's name provoked the kid to return? The two guards certainly did a horrendous job at keeping this child away from the building. Mr. Burke realized that the guards were nowhere to be seen. This boy must be stronger than he thought. However, this boy was going to take away his Alice if she knew he was here looking for her. However, he hesitated.

Alice…

He has been with her long enough to know that she wasn't as simple as a play thing. He knew this because he worried about her. He cared for her. This was proven during the bathroom incident. He never felt so much fear for someone else. He would have replaced himself with Alice if it meant that she would be saved from death. Despite this complicated relationship, he experienced the sensation of happiness when she looked into his eyes to smile. That happiness was a feeling he has never felt before unless he was destroying a large portion of innocent lives. There has never been a woman in his life that gave him so much happiness. In fact, he never fancied anyone. The feelings he's had for the women he met did not constitute as something like romance. He had always believed women were boring and annoying. The ignorance…the arguments…he couldn't even manage the consideration of pursuing them. Out of all of those women, however, Susan stood out. She would constantly come back to Mr. Burke whilst spouting out words that a love-sickened individual would always express. However, Mr. Burke felt absolutely nothing of similar sentiments in return. Despite that, however, he never denied her love. Whenever she wanted him, he showed her the amount of love she demanded from him even if he felt nothing of the sort. He knew she depended on him. She literally didn't need anyone but him. He could tell she was very uninterested at the rest of her clients at Tenpenny Tower. Perhaps this was why he accepted her. He was happy that she saw only him. He never thought someone can ever be so content by existing for just one person that they fancied. However, after meeting Alice, he understood.

And now….his imprecision ruined everything.

Now he realized she felt unwanted, unloved, and insecure even after all she had said to Susan just then. It was as if he spat at everything she had said for him and he wanted to get rid of her. If only he could tell her how untrue that is, and how it was purely an accident. If only she knew that there was no contest for his love. She had won his heart from the day he first laid eyes on her. If only things can be that simple… He hated himself for breaking her heart…which is why he won't allow for this to happen again—

He had to let her go.

He had to release her from this wretched building that will continuously haunt her about his mistake and no matter how hard he tried to change reality, it was just a task that was impossible. The reality will never change. The image of his betrayal is permanently burned into her mind. A stinging feeling was felt in his chest from the mere thought of her departure. The possibility of her returning to him after letting her go is even beyond that.

No…it was alright if she did not return. He did not want to be reminded of her faltering feelings towards him over this situation. Nothing will ever be the same again. The trust that he had gained from Alice is forever lost and even if he could work hard to gain it back again, it will never be the same loving and strong trust she once had for him. He knew she had once loved him, and that was enough for him to give him enough strength to allow her to leave him forever. Besides, he had the scar she has marked upon his face as a permanent reminder that she had once existed in his life. It is silly for him to force himself to alter this reality by forcing himself to be ignorant, but he had no choice. This had to be done. For his own selfish sake, he had to lie to himself and simply, dream. That was the only way he could bare the loneliness he will soon be feeling.

She wouldn't feel the rays of despair forever if she had someone such as that energetic brat at the gate with her. It would be safer for her to wander in the wasteland with someone rather than allowing herself to get eaten by a Yao Guai from the lack of decisiveness due to her depressive state.

Yes, this was the best thing Mr. Burke can do.

"Mr. DeLoria!" He shouted. Butch looked at Mr. Burke with a hint of slight fear in his eyes. He must have forgotten about Mr. Burke.

"Alice is here. Please wait one moment while I bring her to you."

"R—Really?! She's here? I mean…alright then. Don't keep me waiting, man!"

Mr. Burke grumbled to himself as he walked back into the building and into the elevator. As he waited for the elevator to tell Alice the news, he thought about what will happen. Alice will yell in fury. She will try to kill him with failure. He would not defend himself when she will lash out viciously at him in pure hatred. She would not believe a word he could say even if it's the truth and not an excuse, and therefore, he would support anything she does in her power that will allow her feel better even if it was just the bare minimum. He can imagine the frail smile on her face when he tells her that she can leave. However, he had to hold himself back from comforting her. The harsher and direct his words are, the easier it will be for her to leave.

Mr. Burke walked out of the elevator and walked towards his door, trying to hide the pain he felt inside. He hasn't even told her to leave yet, and he already missed her presence.

Alice ran into Mr. Burke's room and slammed the door shut. She would have locked it if she had the keys, but it was in Mr. Burke's possession. She sat on the bed and stared at the door. She waited for a bit before sighing a breath of relief. It did not seem as if he was going to walk in so soon, so it gave her time to think.

Alice lowered her head. Mr. Burke was kissing Susan. Why…? She thought Mr. Burke was going to punish Susan. Alice thought Mr. Burke loved her and only her. No…love always led to tragedy. This was the perfect proof of it. Substitution was the perfect word for how she felt. She was not the voluptuous and psychotic and obsessive Susan Lanchester. He said that he didn't have any more feelings for that woman and yet, Alice was casted aside for that exact person. She felt used with the importance of a plate of freshly cooked squirrel stew that was about to be consumed and tossed away once finished because there were stacks of many other plates of equally fresh squirrel stew ready to be served.

The haunting image of Mr. Burke sharing a sweet kiss with another person was something she wanted to forget. It was just a simple kiss, but she didn't want the thought of the kiss leading to a loving embrace.

Alice tried to comfort herself with thoughts that one would usually think of during distressed times such as this.

You deserve better than him.

He isn't worth your love.

You don't need any men in your life. Just yourself.

…However, a broken heart cannot simply be mended as easily as that. All she could truly think about was how he was the only light in her eyes in which she would blindly follow in this dark world of hers. Now that he's gone…she's left all alone being lost in this everlasting darkness that is impossible to escape from. This was a bad dream she was unable to wake up from. She also thought about the things Susan claimed Alice to be. He must have chosen Susan over Alice because a nobody like herself gave Mr. Burke a bad image. She was ruining his reputation and scarring his name. That's must be why…

Suddenly, she saw images in her head. Images of back when she was at the vault with her father. She saw father's gentle smile as he fed her as a child. She saw her father teaching her academics when she was too unwilling to go to class because of the bullying she received from her classmates because of her eyes. Images of her father hugging her and telling her how much she reminded him of her mother…and images of him disappearing without every saying a word to her.

Her father was the reason why she believed that it's always so hard to trust, and so hard to deal with the pain of abandonment. It all started with her father's sudden disappearance. Twice, she had to endure it and twice she regret gaining her ability to trust as quickly as she wish to lose it forever to avoid this similar pain. This feeling of abandonment was a scar that remained no matter how hard she tried to erase it. She always lied to herself, thinking that she hated her dad for leaving her. But she knew quite well, that if they weren't physically apart, she would cry in his fatherly and loving arms, instantly forgiving and accepting her only relative's reason. She could never let go and move on with her life no matter how genuine it looked in everyone else's eyes. She had thought Mr. Burke would be the only one to heal her emotional scar, but only to feel the person whom she'd unguardedly given all her trust and heart to first betray her. All she wanted to do was to start believing again…that's all she wanted. But that was just a dream she could never have. She was merely a stupid little girl constantly living in a dream. The truth was that she really didn't matter at all. That was why it's so easy for someone to leave her without trouble. She should never have accepted Mr. Burke's love. She should have taken her doubt and fear in his flawed love seriously, and find a way to break it. However, it was much too late now. She was trembling and shaking. She didn't know what Mr. Burke was going to say to her when he walked in the room. She just knew that she couldn't endure anything anymore.

A minute act like what Mr. Burke had just done shredded her heart. Shattered it into millions of irreplaceable and unfixable pieces. She was certain that Mr. Burke knew that Susan had tried to kill her due to her being mad with envy and that she had lost all morality and stability. That was the one thing Mr. Burke had mentioned that drew him to be quickly disinterested in that woman. However, everything has become apparent.

Everything that they've been through was a colossal waste of time. He lied. He lied about correcting the falsities Susan have ascended. He lied about the empty feelings he had for Susan. He lied about his loyalty for her. He lied about everything. He was a liar, and Alice was torn by this realization. She felt as if she had lost a part of herself forever and thought to herself: This is how much you were and are worth, Alice. You are nothing to him. You are disposable.

The door opened, causing Alice to look up to see Mr. Burke. The two of them stayed silent for a while, and neither of them had an expression on their face. Alice quickly stood up as she stared at him. She can not sit there and bear whatever excuses he was going to tell her. She had to run. She had to disappear.

However, before she could even make the effort, she did not expect what happened next. She cried. She tried wiping her tears away with the sleeve of her shirt, but as she wiped a few drops away, more of them kept dripping down her cheeks. She was shouting at Mr. Burke as she did so. She could barely comprehend any of the words that were spouting from her lips. She just simply could not control her feelings because she had never experienced such pain. Mr. Burke quickly ran towards her and tried to hold her and comfort her with soothing words, despite what he had just told himself not to do. Alice pushed him away, shouting out horrible things. She told him that she wanted to leave. She told him she didn't know who he was because she thought the Mr. Burke that she knew of would not promise to love her and abandon her instantly like this.

She told him that she hated him.

The air became very tense as Mr. Burke stood there silently. He placed both of his hands in the pockets of his suit and lowered his head.

"Mr. DeLoria is here. Gather whatever belongings from this room you wish to take with you. You're free to leave."

Alice looked up at Mr. Burke. How can Butch be here? But judging from the look on Mr. Burke's face, he was serious. He crushed whatever little hope she had remaining in her chest. She wished he asked her to stay. She wanted something….anything to prove herself wrong. Anything that hinted that he still loved her. She wanted to attempt to believe some sort of sugar coated lie, listening to the sweet words he always showered her with. The sweet words that allowed her to grow strong just by listening to them. He never genuinely smiled or spoke with a kind voice that matched the words his was speaking of, but she did not care.

However…this was it. This was the end of everything.

A small knock on the door was heard. Butch poked his head into the room. His curious expression turned into a look of excitement as he saw Alice. He pushed the rest of the door to the side and ran towards Alice.

"Alice! I've been lookin' all over for ya!" He stopped as he noticed her tears.

"Hey..what's the matter?" He looked at Mr. Burke questionably, but Mr. Burke responded by leaving the room instantly, slamming the door shut behind him. Butch could have sworn that Mr. Burke's hand was trembling as he closed the door. He turned his attention back towards Alice.

"What are you doing here, Butch?" She sniffed as she wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt that wasn't already soaked with her tears.

"I came to find ya. I asked the ghoul at the bar in Megaton about you, and he told me where you were." Butch replied as he took out a handkerchief from the pockets from inside his jacket and wiped it on Alice's face. Alice couldn't help but to smile lightly from Butch's awkward kind gesture. Although he had always bullied Alice ever since they were both children, she had always known there were some good in him. She knew when he would always spend his time with his alcoholic mother and when he begged her for her help to save his mother. She ended up convincing him to save her instead, and then she left. She had faith in Butch that he was able to defeat them because she knew he cared for those who was worth his attention.

"Anyways! I just wanted to come here and tell you thanks. If it wasn't for ya, my mom would be cockroach food." Butch said loudly. It sounded as if he has been rehearsing it for awhile.

Alice nodded, but her chest was hurting too much to keep up that smile Butch has put on her face. She wanted to quit this game. She wanted to be free from the pain and tears. But she couldn't say any of that. Instead, she spoke quietly "Butch…I want to leave."

"O..Oh! Sure thing!" He walked with her to the door which he opened for her. Alice looked around the hallway. Mr. Burke was nowhere to be seen. She had wanted to tell him goodbye, but she figured that would have made things more difficult anyways. Butch went to the elevator with Alice. He looked uncomfortable by the silence just as Alice had felt when she first went into the elevator with Mr. Burke.

"So, Alice! It must have been amazing that you had the chance to stay here. It's gotta be!"

Alice didn't respond. The elevator had just opened and she was now distracted by the door that led to her exit. She could clearly see the outside of this building and there were a whole slew of ghouls that were surrounding the hotel. They were silently standing there, and Alice knew they all wanted to barge their way in. This was an impossible mission, but Alice could not care much for this. All she wanted to do is to go back to Megaton with Butch. These ghouls reminded her of Gob who was probably deeply depressed of her excessive absence and might assume that she was dead. Alice and Butch walked out of the elevator and into a crowded room full of guards that were running around so frantically that they looked like a big blur to Alice.

"Young Lady!"

Alice turned away from him and continued to walk towards the door for her release. Butch looked at the captain curiously. "Hey Alice, he's callin' for you. Shouldn't you hear him out? Maybe it's important." Butch really couldn't care for the guy that got him in trouble in the first place, but seeing how broken Alice was, perhaps the guy had something to say that will help the situation.

"I do not wish to cause more trouble." She spoke unflappably. She wanted to just depart from this accursed building.

The captain just kept talking. "I have just been informed about something serious. This is truly unexpected. You must go to the roof of the building. I have to stay here to keep the ghouls away from here. So—"

"That arrangement is entirely too troublesome for me to—" Alice started to say.

"There may be a funeral for Mr. Burke if you don't hurry, young lady! I'm not even allowed to tell this to a commoner like you, but Mr. Burke is someone I highly respect. I figure Ms. Susan Lanchester has something to do with this. I didn't think she would actually carry out such a crazy plan but for God's sake just get up there!"

Once Alice heard of Mr. Burke's name, she felt as if both her heart and the world have frozen up. He shouldn't matter to her. She should simply let him die for what he has done to her. However, she knew with all the power she could fight with herself, she could never let him go. At least, not like this. She was powerless to change anything…but she had to try. She nodded in understanding and turned towards the elevator while Butch ran after her.

Captain Gustav sighed as he watched her and Butch hurriedly rush towards the elevator. "Although I've done what I could, I have a bad feeling about this. Good luck, kid." And with that, he walked towards the gate to join his men in the fight.

Mr. Burke stood on top of the roof. He was watching the ghouls down there. It was not because he was worried or curious about the fight, but he wanted to see Alice walk away from the building. He needed to see that she was strong enough to leave everything behind and start a new future without him for the better. They should be leaving the building any moment now.

Then he heard the sound of footsteps behind him. Alice…?

Mr. Burke turned around quickly, but the moment he did so, he felt a sharp and quick pain of a bullet pierce through his leg. He grunted and crouched over to hold onto the wound and looked up to see the last person he wanted to see.

It was Braedon, the stammering guard.

The guard had a wide grin on his face as he twirled the pistol around his fingers while walking towards Mr. Burke and spoke happily. "Ah…Mr. Burke. How nice it is to be reacquainted with you, sir."

So this man was actually a wordsmith. The studdering act must have all been a front to fool Mr. Burke into thinking he was incompetent as a potential threat, and it worked. He overlooked this guard. He was never one for the silent types, and he knew this when he first heard the first stammering words spout of Braedon's mouth. Mr. Burke knew there was something peculiar about this guard, but his ignorance got the best of him. Mr. Burke forced himself to grin back towards the lad. He could not show weakness even if he was breathing the last speck of air left in him.

"This is quite the accomplishment for a pseudo of a guard like yourself."

The guard laughed. He knew he had the upper hand, and he was going to take his sweet time enjoying this moment. "You are as brave as I've heard. Alas, Mr. Burke. You can't always have all the power. You are not immortal. You can't kill people with a snap of your fingers forever. You need limits. You need a downfall to your greatness, and I am the one that will make it happen."

Braedon noticed how Mr. Burke has yet to ask him for his motive. He decided to cut right to it.

"Susan Lanchester finds your wrongdoings quite unforgiveable…as do Mr. Tenpenny."

"What?!" Mr. Burke glared at Braedon in disbelief. Allistair was part of this? He must have planned this all along. He must have formulated this plan while he sent Mr. Burke away to distract him. That cold hearted bastard wanted Mr. Burke to suffer as much as his past victims. Was it because of Alice?

"You are at a liberty to believe me or not, but quite frankly, I find your acts to be unpardonable as well…" Braedon started to speak.

"Where is Alice?! If you harmed even a hair on her, I swear I'll—"

"Don't interrupt me!" The guard yelled and shot another bullet through the same leg as he did before, causing Mr. Burke to grunt again in pain. "I'm not nearly as skilled as you, but I am certainly disappointed at how weak you've become just because of one girl. Where is the famous Mr. Burke that's always one or two steps ahead of his opponent? Where is the Mr. Burke that everyone idolizes for being such a loyal right hand man to Mr. Tenpenny? He seems to be swallowed in the darkness that this Alice of yours has unintentionally created. Oh the inhumanity!"

Braedon threw his head up into the air to laugh at the poor old fool that was kneeling weakly in front of him. Who would have ever known that he would be the one to take the life of the famous and mysterious Mr. Burke that everyone had always dreamed of killing? He was going to get so much money from both the whore AND the boss from the company he worked for. Braedon turned around to take a knife out of his briefcase. If he was going to be rich for this, he was going to have proof of his accomplishment by cutting Mr. Burke's head to make it into a trophy. He was still laughing in excitement.

However, his laughter came to a complete halt as he heard the sudden sound of a gun firing and a sudden sharp and gory pain upon his chest. He choked in shock and turned around uneasily at Mr. Burke who was pointing the fired gun at him.

"That Mr. Burke never left, you foolish buffoon. Did you actually think I would be unprepared for scenario such as this? Everything I do is of perfection! As you can see, I can easily terminate an ant like you in such an underhanded fashion, and I'll do the same to both Ms. Lanchester and Mr. Tenpenny."

Braedon's body fell to the ground. Mr. Burke noticed he was still alive. Barely, but breathing.

"I could've used a creative man like you. Then again, I don't need a traitor in my midst. I hope you have made your peace with God." Mr. Burke spoke softly before unloading the last bullet he had in his gun upon Braedon's skull.

Mr. Burke grunted as he felt the pain in his leg return. It was time to pay a visit to the doctor before dealing with the conspirators. He turned to leave, but stopped as he saw a woman at the door.

It was Susan Lanchester, and she was pointing a gun at him.

She must have been waiting to see whether or not Braedon's skill unrivaled with Mr. Burke's and chose herself to take him down after being roughed up by the guard. The plan was well constructed, but even the most well-planned wrongdoings can be undone. Especially when that person was as brainless as Susan Lanchester.

"Well now. You certainly made a mess of things, Ms. Lanch—"

"Don't be so quick to pin this on me!" Susan screamed at him as her grip upon the pistol tightened. Mr. Burke took one look into her eyes to realize that she has reached her limit. What little stability that existed within her was now gone. She would really pull the trigger if she wanted to. Mr. Burke had nothing to worry about risking. His life did not matter to him, but he was still unsure whether or not Alice was safe. He had to hang in there just for a little while longer until he could find out.

"Throw your gun here!" She ordered.

Mr. Burke obeyed. He carefully placed his gun onto the ground and kicked it over to Susan who responded by kicking it backwards behind her. The gun slid all the way towards the entrance.

"What are you blabbering about? The guard told me everything. I thought we both established that this relationship would be terminated after that incident. I highly doubted that you would be such a lying annoyance like this, but yet you sent that failure of a guard after me—"

Mr. Burke was interrupted once again by Susan. She was laughing hysterically, which caused Mr. Burke to grimace. Her laugh was nothing short of disgusting…not only because it was evoked from this particular person, but because he used to fancy it.

"Enough about the guard then. Where is Alice!?" He demanded.

"Sooooory, I'm not at the liberty to divulge that information to you~!" Susan sang happily, enjoying the rage Mr. Burke's eyes were giving off.

"Why stray from the topic anyways? I may have hired the guard, but it was your precious Allistair that gave it the okay! Here's a note from him to prove it!" Susan kept her firm grip on the gun with one hand while she used the other hand to take out a piece of paper she kept in between her cleavage. She walked towards him and gently pressed the paper against his face as an attempt to tease him before he impatiently snatched the paper from her to read it. The note read:

_A chance will present itself for you to reunite with your lover, Ms. Lanchester. If not…Mr. Burke will be unseated from his position if he is unable to let go of that girl. If he refuses, the cold whispers of death will fill the air for both him and the girl. _

_If you are reading this, Mr. Burke. I hope you regain your senses and accept the obvious choice for this modest proposal. It would be such a shame to lose an outstanding right hand man such as yourself. _

_-Allistair Tenpenny_

Mr. Burke gave off a sigh of relief. The threat only meant that Alice would only be endangered if Mr. Burke refused this deal. She is still alright. Mr. Burke crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it on the ground. He looked up at Susan who was grinning from ear to ear.

"You see, Mr. Burke? It's just so easy! Just give me your love, and I'll give you your life!" She was giggling as she placed the tip of the gun against his chest. She used her free hand to caress his neck, as if she already knew which decision he was going to make. Oh how wrong she is.

"If those are the only choices I have," Mr. Burke spoke calmly. "Then I would sooner choose to die than live." He anticipated the bullet to piercing through his chest, but didn't feel anything. He looked over at Susan who was glaring horrifyingly at him.

"Well aren't you just a big botch of happy, loving goodness you fucking radroach! Your convictions about women confuses me. I had always thought quality was more important to you than quantity. However, this can't be the case if you've chosen that little girl over me."

Mr. Burke felt the gun pressed harder against him.

"I doubted that you would be such a fool for doing all of this nonsense for the likes of that girl! I'll kill you. Then I'll kill her. Then I'll kill myself. Then we'll all be one big happy family! I'm going to enjoy seeing the look on her face when I tell her about your death! This is going to shatter her like you did to me when I lost you to her!"

Mr. Burke looked at her with such dark eyes. "Whatever grudge you hold onto me, I will accept. However, do not drag Alice into this, you worthless bitch."

Just then, the world becomes just a little crueler than it already was when she fired the bullet that pierced through the heart of Mr. Burke's.

He could feel it as he fell onto the concrete ground. The everlasting hell that awaited him was drawing closer to him as fast as the blood was leaking out of his body. He had always known he would be part of the world that's been set in flames for him after death. He knew ever since he was a young boy. However, he did not expect to enter into such a world so soon in such an unfashionable manner with his finely tailored suit now discolored with his blood and his glasses shattered all across the floor.

He refused to look over at the woman who brought this onto him who was now emitting a sound that sounded like a mixture of sobbing and laughter. He did not want his last glimpse of life to be of someone so worthless such as herself. What would he give to gaze into the eyes of his beloved….

"Mr. Burke!"

The voice did not belong to Susan. Mr. Burke looked quickly towards the direction of the person who called out for his name. Just then, he witnessed the killing of Susan Lanchester with Alice holding his gun at her. She fired multiple bullets at Susan, even after she fell silently onto the ground. He watched as Butch grabbed Alice's shoulder to stop her from doing what she couldn't control and pointed at Mr. Burke's direction. Alice immediately dropped the gun and ran over towards to Mr. Burke while he noticed the boy running back into the building, probably calling for help.

She was already choking in her tears as she raced towards Mr. Burke's side. She was surprised that his face wasn't twisted in pain from the wound that seemed so painful that's been forced upon him.

Mr. Burke looked at Alice. She was crying again. Her tears were being spewed out of her eyes again because of him, but for an entirely different reason. Both times, however, made her seem pitiful, and it made Mr. Burke hate himself for being the sole reason for those tears.

"I'm sorry…I shouldn't have been so stubborn. Otherwise, I would have arrived sooner and stopped this from happening." Alice managed to speak weakly as she was sobbing and sniffling intensely.

Mr. Burke looked up at her with pain now. How can she apologize for something that was out of her reach? He wanted to apologize. He wanted to tell her so many things that he could countlessly apologize for and to hold her into his arms, but he couldn't. He could taste the blood rising in his chest and into his mouth. He wasn't going to last long, and his many words that he wanted to say would be meaningless if he couldn't finish saying what he wanted to say. He was limited with anything that evoked from his vocal chords, so he chose his words carefully.

"It's perfectly alright." Mr. Burke spoke as he became misty-eyed and attempted to pull the muscles of his lips into a smile of reassurance. He had a terrible and fail smile on his face. This intensified her sobbing as she realized he was trying to comfort her in his own indirect way. The sounds of her cries stopped for a second as she felt his hand wrap around hers. She looked at him and watched as he spoke the last words she ever heard from him.

"I love you."

Then his eyes closed and Alice felt his hand slip away from hers. Alice as she screamed and cried, holding onto his unconscious body for as long and as tight as she could until the doctor's arrival along with Butch came forth to pull her away from Mr. Burke. Butch looked at Alice's attire with concern. She was holding onto Mr. Burke so much that she was now wearing his blood on her clothes as she watched the doctor take Mr. Burke's body away forever. They also watched several guards dragging Susan and Braedon's body away.

They both stood there for what seemed like forever until Butch finally said "Let's go, Alice." Alice barely registered the words he had spoken and allowed him to take her hand, leading her out of the place. Mr. Burke tried so hard for her to be happy. He did so much and even died because of her. She regretted not believing in him. She regretted not doing her part and being a good lover to him as he did with her. However, no matter how much she regreted…he'll never come back to her.

(Phew! It took awhile to finish this really long chapter. I intended to end it with this chapter, but it turned out a lot longer than I thought so there will be one last chapter that will be the closure to this fan fiction. Hope you guys liked it! ^^;)


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